Dissidia Apocrypha
by Gundam-Knight-Chris
Summary: The Great Holy Grail War has begun. The Masters of the Black and Red Factions have summoned their Servants. However, these legendary figures are different than the ones from the World's history. Instead, they come from realms clad in fantasy and magic. What Fate beholds these new warriors? And what of Ruler and her new bodyguard, Saver? (Rated T... for now)
1. Prologue

**What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you a new crossover between Fate/Apocrypha and Final Fantasy.**

**Watching Fate/Apocrypha gave me an idea for such a crossover. What if the Servants of the Black and Red Factions were different? What if the Holy Grail decided to call forth a guardian for Ruler?**

**Quick Note: This serves as more of a prologue. Servants will be Final Fantasy characters, be they hero or villain, and you're welcome to suggest which character you think fits with each Class for the other Red Servants. However, the Black Servants along with Saber of Red has already been chosen by me.**

**Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OC, the Fate series or the Final Fantasy series. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

**Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!**

* * *

**Dissidia/Apocrypha**

* * *

**Prologue:** The Reckoning

* * *

_Change does not exist in this world._

…

_No day or night, no sunsets or moonrises._

…

_My entire existence is nothing but remembrance and flashback._

…

_It's boring, but easy._

…

_It just takes a bit of a while._

…

_The whole concept of time fades into the distance._

…

_But eventually…_

…

"Awaken."

…

_I heard a voice that jolted me awake._

…

_It was…_

A bluish-green eye opens, revealing a glowing slit pupil.

A great dragon, resting upon a sphere of golden energy and surrounded by a field of white flowers, looked upon a beautiful girl in a white dress. There was something about her that felt… calming…

"You are now-" She spoke, outstretching her hand to the Phantasmal Beast. Her last words were mute upon its ears.

_...an insignificant promise buried in the abyss of time._

* * *

XXX

* * *

The moonlit night curtained over a great castle… yet it did nothing to stop the battle erupting miles from its gates.

From this battle did two armies clash: One composed of intimidating skeletal beings known simply as Dragon Tooth Warriors; mindless familiars created by a mage of exceptional skill to slay any enemy that they deem a threat to their master. The other army was composed of humans and stone golems, except the humans each had a certain characteristic: their blood red eyes. This symbolizes their status as a homunculus, or an artificial human created to serve a purpose: To fight.

The armies clashed. Bones shattering from steel lances and halberds, flesh skewered by bone-like swords, stone and earth crumbled from overwhelming numbers, and bodies lay about on the battlefield like rocks.

Several yards away, two beings were engaged in a bloody sword duel to the death. The first is a dark-skinned man with long silvery-gray hair, glowing blue markings that ran from his torso to the right side of his cheek, and piercing grey eyes. He wore a set of magnificent plate armor over a dark undersuit. The second is a knight wearing a set of fierce, demon-like silver armor lined with red. The eyeless sockets of the intimidating helm glaring straight into the grey orbs of the other warrior.

These two knights were not human by any known means. No… they are Heroic Spirits; Servants summoned to do battle with each other till either one was slain by the other.

Their swords flashed faster than the speed of light, dust clouds erupted around them whenever their feet made contact with the earth, and the very wind itself had been cut from a simple swing of their blades.

They clash swords, their eyes glaring into each other as they battled for dominance. The faceless knight with the horned helm scoffed distastefully at the silver-haired man. "You fake." They spoke in a feminine voice as their boot buried itself into the earth then with a burst of her prana, sent her opponent flying.

The man recovered after rolling on the ground a few times, stopping himself by bracing his legs to the ground. He could hear the taunts of his enemy practically screaming in his ears.

"And you still call yourself a Saber-class Servant?" The masked knight smirked beneath her helm. "A fake can only go so far."

The silver-haired warrior didn't dain to answer. Instead, he brought up his blade, ready to engage in combat with his smaller foe then spoke a simple phrase, "Show me the way, O sword." With the tightening of his grip on the handle, the blade emitted a powerful blue light akin to a dragon's flame.

"Your Noble Phantasm?" The lady knight looked bewildered at first as her helmet suddenly started to shift and retract back into her chest plate. She smirked, baring her fangs at the man. "As you wish. I have my master's permission." She brought her own sword up to bear. "I shall answer in kind." As if answering her words, the blade in her hands ignited into a blood-red blaze that crackled with magical electricity. "You shall perish as befitting of an imitation! Fall, Saber of Black!"

"Come, Saber of Red!" The man challenged.

The two opposing lights pushed their respective prana flow against each other. Neither backing down as the swords' masters prepared to unleash their greatest techniques against their opponent.

Ah, but such a tale is not why we're here. In fact, many of you already know this battle. You know how it ends and what transpires afterward. However, there are many stories that tell a different set of events.

One such tale embarks the Masters of this War and their Servants into a great conflict.

A conflict known only… as Dissidia.

* * *

**[?]**

* * *

_How long has it been… since I've erred walked these barren roads…?_

_You would think being an adventurer for most of your life would be exciting. The chance to explore dungeons, battle terrifying monsters, and even endorse in the friendships that came with such adventures._

_Alas, that was not it for me… For you see, my life has been nothing but battle after battle, loss after loss, and heartache after heartache._

_In history, I would be forever known by my world as the Warrior of Light and Darkness. But I knew who I was…_

_...I am just a simple man with a destiny thrust upon me by those I once desired to protect._

_After all… Fate has a humorous way of putting a man in situations that could kill him…_

* * *

**[Clock Tower] **_**[Six Days Ago]**_

* * *

Within London at a school glamorized to hide magus society from the mundane masses, Lord El-Melloi II had received the reports from the team sent to investigate the mage family in Trifas, Romania.

Every single one of them. All of the members of the task force sent has been massacred, save for one… One poor soul managed to survive the ordeal and was sent back to the Clock Tower as a message.

By the very family that has right now declared war on the Mage Association…

...Yggdmillennia

An organization led by a man from the last Holy Grail War that has not aged a single day since the eve of World War II.

It was not a good situation, The Lord El-Melloi II mused. Not since the news from Romania had been received.

As he mused, he had heard a knock on his study door. "Come in."

The man that entered was a large, muscular, burly man who, despite his scarred countenance, was only in his thirties at most. He was dressed like a stereotypical biker, with shoulder-length, messy hair, dark sunglasses, what seemed to be a sawed-off shotgun dangling from his hip, along with a lit cigarette clenched between his teeth.

"Lord El-Melloi?" the man asked, in a voice befitting his frame, tinged though it was from the years of smoke inhalation.

"First off, it's El-Melloi II. Secondly, yes. You are Kairi Sisigou, correct?"

"Yep. Old man Belfaban told to meet with you?"

"Indeed. Take a seat, please."

The Necromancer did.

"Tell me, Sisigou, what do you know of the Yggdmillennia?"

"As much as any other magus, I guess. They're a collective of degrading magi clans who pool their resources together in order to survive, and that the old folks here think that they're a bunch of "heretics," but other than that, not much. Never really ran into them during my travels. Why?"

In response, the lord reached into his desk and pulled out a rather large file. He withdrew from the file an old, slightly faded photograph of a man dressed in a Nazi uniform. "Seventy years ago, their current head, the man you see here, took part in the Holy Grail War of Fuyuki. Have you heard of that, at least?"

"Who hasn't?"

"Indeed. Suffice to say; due to the machinations of this man, there have been no new wars in Fuyuki. It is all because, in 1936, on the eve of World War II, at the end of the Holy Grail War, this man aided the Nazis in stealing the Greater Grail, before it suddenly vanished."

"So?"

"So, two months ago, this same man, who has not aged a day since 1936, and who has a standing price and kill-on-sight order over his head, recently proclaimed to the Association that the Greater Grail had been in his possession the entire time, and that his organization, Yggdmillennia, were fully seceding from the Association. The Heads of the Clock Tower sent a team of fifty of their best magus hunters to investigate and confront him."

"What happened?"

"Forty-nine of them were massacred, and the sole survivor, before dying, was returned here, half-mad, and raving about how his comrades had all been slaughtered by a single man; a Servant, to be more precise. This confirmed our worst fears, which was that the Holy Grail War, the _True_ one, has once again begun. Only this time, the reserve system has been activated, meaning that it will be a battle of fourteen, instead of seven."

The lord was silent for a moment, so as to let that statement sink in.

The moment was then ruined by the loud crash heard out in the hallway, causing El-Melloi II to groan in resignation.

In the next instant, a teenager with blue eyes, slightly tanned skin, blonde hair, and a red vest walked in, clutching a small pile of books in his hands, while a sheepish expression was plastered on his too-happy face.

"Sorry about that, Mr. Big Ben London Super Star! I don't know why, but I just tripped on that rug! Here are the books that you asked for."

"Flat, thank you. Also, how many times have I asked you not to call me that, you dumbass?!"

To Lord El-Melloi II, the only descriptions that could be aptly applied to Flat Escardos, besides "massive moron," was "walking irony." On one hand, the teenager had more raw talent and power in magecraft than most of the Lords combined, which, ordinarily, would have made him a tempting prize/student/test subject for any magus worth their salt. This was deeply offset, however, by the fact that the boy was such a colossal idiot that no one was willing to deal with him for long. In fact, as the boy had once cheerfully told him, his own parents had tried to kill him, multiple times.

Thus, for several excruciatingly long years, he had been the responsibility of El-Melloi II, long past the number of years one could be a student at the clock tower, since El-Melloi II was quite unwilling to let the boy, now nearly twenty years of age, into the wider world, for fear of the damage he could cause. Of course, that just meant that he was still stuck with the irritating brat.

The necromancer chuckled as he watched the amusing scene. "Hey, kid."

The boy looked at him, and his face broke open into a smile. "Oh, Mr. Lion!"

"It's Kairi."

"Sorry. Anyway, Mr. Belfaban said he's ready to see you."

As the Necromancer and the blonde boy left, El-Melloi sighed, looking at the box on his desk again. A new Grail War. How terrifying. He still sometimes had nightmares from the farce that he had been involved in. All he could hope was that the team sent by the Clock Tower to participate would fare better than the mage hunters.

* * *

**[Trifas]**

* * *

It was a beautiful and serene night, through the eyes of two of the room's residents eyes never once gazed out the gilded window, and instead remained glued to the chessboard in front of them, while the other two, a silent maid and a stone golem, stood silently, awaiting orders.

One of the figures is a young woman with light brown skin and brown facial markings, light teal eyes, and white hair with two frontal pigtails tied with rings. A strange thing about the woman is the fact she had a pair of cat ears on her head along with a tail protruding from her backside. There was also a tattoo on her neck. She wore a long-sleeved white top with extended sides and back and short black shorts, black thigh-high boots and a black bolero shrug over her shoulders.

The feline woman's opponent is a handsome figure with gray hair and purple eyes that appeared to be only in his early thirties at most, though he was in actuality much older then he seemed.

"How are the preparations coming, Caster?" The gray-haired man asked, with a surprisingly deep voice, as he moved a pawn forward.

"The preparations for the war grow steadily closer, Lord Darnic." The woman, Caster, replied in a voice that spoke of a medieval accent. "Twoulds needs to be swift in the summoning of the other Servants. No doubt the enemy has already summoned their own."

Darnic looked up for a moment and studied the woman. She was known as a Miqo'te of the Seekers of the Sun clan from a land known as Eorzea. At first, he found it suspicious but realized that the Throne of Heroes wasn't limited to just heroes from Earth's past but also alternate realities that expanded the Multiverse. A Scion of the Seventh Dawn and a powerful mage. She is Y'shtola Rhul, the Caster-class Servant of the Black Faction.

Roche Frain, the Master of Caster, was woefully unprepared for the fact that his Servant was not the one that he wanted. Originally, the catalyst he had chosen would've given him the fabled Golem Master, Solomon ibn Gabirol, or Avicebron. Due to Roche being raised by emotionless dolls and golems for all his life, he found it quite uncomfortable to have a cat woman from a land vastly different from their own and wielding magic, unlike anything they've ever seen to be partnered with him. However, after two months of having the Miqo'te spellcaster as his Servant, Roche began to idolize and even called Caster his teacher. Said Servant did not deny or accept any claims of taking him as a student but did help him improve in his Magecraft.

Darnic almost smirked in amusement at a particular memory that had the young boy being scolded by Caster at one point when the boy rudely dismissed a clumsy homunculus maid after she dropped an expensive tea set. Naturally, Caster reprimanded her Master by saying that all beings fumbled every now and then, even Roche himself.

Personally, he found the woman's expertise in magic to be quite useful, especially the myriad of spells and runes she knew from her world. She spent only a full week enchanting and modifying the castle as well as the golems and the weapons used by combat-class homunculi. Needless to say, the results made preparations for the war against the Masters of Red to be quite entertaining. Unfortunately, Caster had brought up her disgust for utilizing the homunculi as batteries to fuel her prana reserves. While she had no objectivity in such resources, her moral line had drawn since she felt that sacrificing such lives to boost her own abilities to be unnecessary.

At first, it proved to be quite an annoyance to Darnic, but he decided that such a moral code would be easily managed, given the right circumstances.

For a while longer, the two continued their chess match in silence… until Caster broke that silence.

"Mayhap I be bold, Lord Darnic," The cat-woman spoke up, drawing the man's attention even after she took one of his pawns with a rook. "Do you believe that your victory is assured in this War? Even though you have not summoned the Servant you wish?"

The Head of Yggdmillennia frowned. His thoughts drifted back to his own Servant. Originally, he had planned to summon Vlad Tepes, or Vlad III, in his native homeland to grant him a fame boost in his parameters. Unfortunately, the Servant of the Lance he had summoned was a knight, like Caster, of a different world. Apparently, Lancer was known as a Dragoon, a knight that specialized in slaying dragons, which would be quite useful if the enemy summoned Servants with an affinity for dragons like King Arthur or Saint George. Unfortunately, it would seem that Darnic's Servant also had a terrible Luck rank. Whatever happened to him in life… would probably affect him even now.

Despite this setback, Darnic was at least impressed with the rest of his stats. So, he decided to respond to Caster's question. "It feels like a lifetime ago, that moment when those pathetic rats of the Magus Association cast me out, all because they predicted that my clan was doomed to fall into nothingness. To me, that felt like a death, my first death, since those same rats once believed that I was destined for greatness, until the moment when they cast me aside like so much garbage."

Knight takes rook. "But, despite all expectations, I managed to rise up from the depths into which they cast me. I made Yggdmillennia a name to be reckoned with, then I participated in the Fuyuki Holy Grail War, crushed all who stood before me, and, in the end, managed to obtain the Greater Grail itself."

He could still remember the flames as the city burned, but also how good it had felt, seeing the look on the Nazis' faces as he had stolen the Grail right out from under them, leaving their bodies to rot and bloat in the sea. Even for one like him, that had been an act, he would never lose sleep over, considering what the Fascists had later done to his people…

Caster moved her last bishop back. "For sixty years, Caster, I have been preparing. Preparing for this moment, right here in the city of Trifas. It is what sets me apart from all the previous participants of this war because unlike them, I know what I am getting into. I have been patient and waiting. So now, this time, I am prepared. This time, I am ready. My opponents in this war, however, will be unprepared."

Pawn takes knight. "I see. So, was mine own summoning part of your overall planning then, Lord Darnic? A part of your preparations?" Caster asked.

"At first, not quite. However, I will not argue with the results. Plus, with the usage of the homunculi as the source of replenishing mana, you and the other Servants of our Faction will be free to utilize all your abilities to your heart's content without the risk of draining your Masters dry, and allowing we, your Masters to fully utilize our Magecraft without fear." Darnic replied.

"Indeed. I would say that such a scheme was a brilliant bit of ingenuity on your part." The Miqo'te remarked.

"Coming from you, that is indeed high and lofty praise. Though, in answer to your earlier question, I am not entirely convinced that my Faction will emerge as the victors just yet. It is yet early, and no plan ever truly survives the battlefield. However, I can say that I currently think the odds are stacked in our favor."

Darnic moved his queen and took Caster's remaining knight. "With the Servants that we summon tonight, I will be one step closer to attaining that which all of my kind seek: The Swirl of the Root, that which lies at the center of Existence itself, and the key to true Magic itself. Nothing, especially those worms of the Association, will stand in my way."

Caster said nothing as she used her king to take the man's queen, leaving only the two king pieces left on the board. A draw.

The Servant of Magic gave the man a grin. "Very well. Then if needs be, I shall aid you in your quest, Lord Darnic."

Then, the room's grandfather clock chimed twelve o'clock. Midnight.

At that, the door opened, and a young boy, no more than thirteen years of age, with a large mess of blonde hair on his head, entered. This was Roche, Caster's master. "Excuse me, Darnic, Master Y'shtola? The preparations are done. Everyone is ready."

With their invigorating game now at an end, Darnic stood up. "Come Caster. Lancer is waiting for us. It is time for the other Servants to be summoned."

Caster followed suit, her smile still present. "Yes, the hour of our comrades' summoning is at hand."

Darnic and Y'shtola made their way to one of the castle's larger rooms, in which a throne was situated, along with a large floor, and the rest of the Black Faction.

Standing dutifully beside the throne was a knight clad from head to toe in full body armor colored dark purple. He wears a helmet the shape of a dragon's head that obscures most of his face and sharp spikes extend out of his armor on his shoulders, elbows, and calves, to give it an even more draconian look. He possessed long purple 'hair' that flowed down to his shoulders and carried with him a spear with a draconian appearance.

This warrior was none other than Darnic's Servant. His True Name being Kain Highwind, a commander of a battalion of Dragoons. Based on his stats, he was definitely a powerful Heroic Spirit from his world. He is the Lancer of the Black Faction.

The other members of the Black faction each held their respective catalysts as they stood in front of the collective summoning circle that had been drawn and etched into the marble floor. From his place beside the throne, Darnic observed the members of his extended family, as they readied for the summoning ritual.

Celenike Icecolle Yggdmillennia, a rather beautiful woman of twenty-odd years with long gray hair, green eyes, and a pair of spectacles balanced upon her nose, produced a glass bottle which had a liquid stain left on it. She came from a magi family that delved into the black arts of witchcraft. The results of such practices could be found in Celenike's… dungeon.

Gordes Musik Yggdmillennia, a rotund man of thirty-six years with blonde hair, and a small, waxed blonde mustache that was reminiscent of a famed British film star, held in his fist a bloodstained leaf of a Sacred Fig tree. Despite a rather prodigious talent in alchemy, Gordes suffered from that unfortunate condition known worldwide as an overinflated ego, though, in Gordes' case, Darnic was surprised that the metaphorical balloon had not already burst years ago.

Darnic's young, and quite second rate grandson, Caules, a brown-haired teenager with glasses, had been given a set of blueprints for the 'Ideal Human' as a catalyst.

Darnic's granddaughter, Fiore, a pretty teenage girl with brown hair and Caules's elder sister, sat in her wheelchair with an ancient arrow in her gloved hand to be used as her own catalyst.

From the platform, Darnic, Caster, and Lancer all watched with anticipation, as Celenike, Gordes, Caules, and Fiore each began to chant…

* * *

**[Stavropoleos Church Cemetery, Bucharest]**

* * *

For a long moment, Kairi did nothing, except sit upon the tombstone and enjoy the acrid feel and taste of the nicotine smoke entering his lungs from the cancer stick. As he did, the necromancer stared at the catalyst that he had been given. To the average observer, it seemed like an ordinary piece of wood, old and well preserved. In a way, it was, but, according to the old man, it was also so much more. A fragment of the most important and famous object in history… the Round Table of King Arthur.

The necromancer than turned his thoughts to why he was here, why he had been given the catalyst in the first place, and why he had etched the summoning circle into the ground of the graveyard.

The Holy Grail War, a secret bloodbath which was, for all intents and purposes, a glorified battle royal between seven magi and the ancient heroes that they summoned, all for the chance at the ultimate prize; a Wish. It was the chance for the deepest desires of the victor's heart to become made manifest.

That was one hell of a thing to fight to the death for.

He glanced at the crimson seals on his hand, took one last drag before flicking away his spent cigarette, looked over the circle that he had etched into the ground one last time, adjusted his sunglasses, stretched out his hand, and began to recite the chant that he had been given by El-Melloi II…

* * *

_Let silver and steel be the essence._

_Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation._

_Let Black/Red be the color I pay tribute to._

_Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall._

_Let the four cardinal gates close._

_Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate._

_I hereby declare._

_Your body shall serve under me._

_My fate shall be your sword._

_Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail._

_If you will submit to this will and this reason…then answer!_

_An oath shall be sworn here!_

_I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven._

_I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell!_

_From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three greet words of power,_

_come forth from the ring of restraints,_

_Protector of the Holy Balance!_

* * *

When the Masters finish their chant, a great blue glow erupted into a burst of light. In the original timeline, ancient heroes of legend from Earth would be summoned. However, this particular Grail War had called upon warriors from distant worlds to answer the call to battle.

* * *

Gordes's Servant was a young man standing at 176cm (5'9") with spiky black hair and blue eyes. He wore an unzipped black jacket with skull-motif buttons and sequenced details on the pockets and wears a black motorcycle glovelet on his left hand. Underneath, he wears a steel gray shirt with skull prints and wears black cropped trousers and buckled boots with red soles.

Though he looked young, he possessed an aura, not unlike that of a king. However, his rather bored yet aloof expression sort of ruined it. A vein was already pulsing angrily on Gordes's forehead at the Servant's apparent disrespect.

Caules' Servant was a dark-skinned, muscular man with long, unruly black hair and red eyes. He wears a pair of black shorts with an orange and red sash covering his right leg, a red headband, a metal gauntlet and pauldron covering his left arm and is barefoot. He also has a black tattoo with a strange symbol on his chest. He wields a black sword with red markings that resemble dolphins.

The man gave Caules a look then folded his arms and huffed with a smirk. For some reason, the boy felt the need to punch the Servant in the face.

Standing before Celenike was a young woman with wavy rose pink hair and pale aqua eyes. She wore a black chest piece with a high collar with bareback strapped on belts. From the lower parts of the chestpiece, there are two symmetrical white capes with pockets. At the top sides of the chestpiece, there are silver pauldrons, and the upper part of her arms are covered with red straps adorned with silver pieces. From the pauldrons hang two symmetrical white capes. The inside color of the capes on both upper and lower pauldrons is red. She wears red and black boots that reach the half of a thigh, and black gloves. On her left arm is a large deep crimson shield with black metal spikes while in her right hand is a long single-edged sword of red, black, and white.

The woman gave off an aura that clearly spoke she was not one to be messed with and would deliver a wrath of unholy hell to any who dared to piss her off. Celenike looked visibly disappointed that she did not get the Servant she wanted but could not deny that the Heroic Spirit in front of her was indeed quite strong.

Fiore's summoned servant was a man physically in his late twenties and stands roughly six feet tall. He has crimson eyes and long black hair. He wears a red bandanna with his fringe emerging over it. His most distinctive feature is his tattered red cloak, held in place over his shoulders and lower face by several buckles. Underneath his cape, he wore a black full bodysuit and a glove on his right hand with several straps and buckles. He has a holster for a gun strapped to his right thigh and pointed golden sabatons on his feet. He wears a golden gauntlet on his left arm. In his right hand is a triple-barreled, triple-cylindered revolver, ornamented with scrollwork patterns, a small dog's head in place of the iron sights on each barrel, and a silver chain in the shape of a three-headed dog with a wing hanging from the end of the grip.

All the servants were now summoned. The Black Faction was near to completion.

Lancer moved from the throne then stood above the other Servants. "I bid you all greetings, my fellow servants of the Black Faction. As per the agreement of our Summoners, I shall now ask you all to reveal your True Names, so that a modicum of trust might be established between us."

The rose-haired woman spoke first, "Lightning Farron. Rider class." Her tone was indifferent and filled with a hint of annoyance.

The black-garbed young man rubbed his spiky hair then sighed, "I'm Noctis, call me Noct for short. I'm a Saber-class Servant." He sounded as if he wanted to go to bed and sleep for a day.

The muscular man smirked. "Name's Jecht. I'm a Berserker. Don't come crying to me if I scare ya." The so-called Mad Servant seemed like the kind of guy who was rough around the edges and liked to think with his fists.

The brooding man in the red cloak spoke last, "Vincent Valentine. Archer."

Caster was the next to speak. "Greetings to you all. I am Y'shtola Rhul. Caster of the Black Faction. I look forward to working with you."

"Indeed." Lancer modded. "I am Kain Highwind, the Lancer-class Servant of the Black Faction. Know that, with our combined power, we will easily be able to annihilate the Red Faction and their Servants. I look forward to your great and brave achievements, my proud and fearless comrades!"

Darnic smirked as the six Black Servants stood together. Now all they needed was the Assassin and the team would be complete.

* * *

Darnic and Lancer retired to Darnic's personal study, which the knight dutifully stood at attention while his Master poured two glasses of an expensive brand of wine. "Tell me, Lancer. What do you make of your new comrades?"

"Even though I do not know of them, I can feel the power they wield," Kain replied as Darnic handed the Dragoon a glass of wine to him, which he graciously accepted. "Bewildering though is that I feel as if I know them from somewhere yet nowhere in my memory do I recall such warriors."

The Head of Yggdmillennia furrowed his brow in thought. "It is possible you may have heard tales of them or even unknowingly met them before."

Lancer nodded as he sipped his wine. "Your words have a form of meaning, Master."

Darnic sensed that was not all that his Servant wished to say. "Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing, save for the fact that our faction is not yet complete. We are still missing Assassin, after all."

"Yes, Jack the Ripper, the murderer that terrorized the streets of White Chapel, and indeed the entirety of England, over a century ago, and was thus likened to a demon. Fret not, my friend. They should be arriving along with their Master any time now. To make sure, I had dispatched the Zugzwang to escort them."

* * *

**[Bucharest]**

* * *

On the upper floor of an upscale hotel in the city of Bucharest, there lay a gruesome sight. It was the sight of a desiccated corpse of a rather rat-like man with bleached-blonde hair, surrounded by the corpses of men and women. Of course, any observer would be drawn to the fact that large, bloody holes were situated where their hearts were supposed to be, as well as the fact that the first man was missing his jaw and right hand. He looked like he had died in a great deal of agony, and not right away. The others seemed to have died from either massive blood loss or dismembered by a blade.

The unfortunate, jawless and handless man had once been known as Hyouma Sagara, a member of the Yggdmillennia, and the intended master of Assassin. Now, unfortunately (or, in a dark sort of way, fortunately) he was quite dead, after many days of a tortured, prolonged existence. The other corpses had been members of the Zugzwang, the assassins of the Yggdmillennia, sent to locate him, now also quite dead.

Meanwhile, walking out of a dark Alleyway, towards the city's main train station, was an odd pair. One, a woman of 23 years with grayish-green hair, was dressed in a provocative green miniskirt and fur jacket and seemed possessed of both a weathered beauty and a disconcerting look in her eyes.

The other is a tall man with a muscular build. He had long silver hair with bangs parted to either side of his face and green cat-like eyes. He wears a long black coat with silver pauldrons, black boots, and black trousers. The top of his coat is open to reveal his chest, with leather suspenders crossed over the skin. He carried with him a seven-foot-long katana in his left hand that was held in a reverse-styled grip with the blade postured away from him.

The woman carried a large rolling suitcase while the man followed dutifully next to her. Another disturbing factor about the pair was the fact that they were both covered in blood.

"Those humans were sent to acquire me, Mother." The man said to the woman.

"Oh, Sephy, you don't have to worry. Those idiots could never take you away from me." The woman replied to her "son".

"Indeed, Mother. All they serve is to be used as entertainment." 'Sephy' said with a cold smirk. "And for the last time, I do not like being called that name."

"But Assassin is too dull. And your other name was much too long. Plus, I find 'Sephy' to be adorable than just Sephiroth." The woman pouted.

Sephy, or Assassin, merely sighed knowing that it was pointless to change his Mother/Master's mind. "Well, it will be quite some time before I am able to feed again to regain my strength." He stated.

Behind them, the corpse of their most recent victim lay sprawled out against a trash bin, like so much rubbish; once an ordinary, everyday citizen, no more evil or good than anyone else, now just a motionless, savaged corpse.

"Oh dear," The woman said suddenly, as they got closer to the station.

"Is something wrong?" Assassin inquired.

"I'm afraid that we may soon run out of tasty hearts for you. We'll have to get more soon."

Sephiroth chuckled softly. "Then let us depart this city and make for another. I've yet to fill my reserves to adequate standards."

The woman's grin then widened, and the sight of it would have sent chills down the spine of anyone unfortunate to cross their paths. "Luckily, I think I know where we can find some more."

Assassin followed his Mother/Master with nary a sound, save for the accidental tapping of his sword against the brick walls of buildings.

Upon her right hand, the woman's black command seals seemed to glow, like the empty space that lay between stars. While Jack the Ripper was not the one summoned, a new monster had taken their place as the Assassin of Black.

A monster known as the One-Winged Angel.

* * *

**[Meanwhile]**

* * *

Kairi gaped in silent awe at the figure that stood in place over the summoning circle.

At first, he believed the figure to be a knight from Arthurian Legend but that image was shattered when he noticed that the Servant looked anything but a knight. For one, the figure is a young man with light skin and is slightly below average height, with a lean and toned build. He has spiky blond hair and blue eyes that glowed with an unnatural light. He wore a high collar sleeveless indigo shirt, black pants and boots, and black cloth covering his left leg and arm. He has a shoulder pauldron, and his chest is covered by two straps, held in place by a badge resembling a wolf's head. However, instead of one sword, he carried _six_ with him. Each individual sword looked as if they were designed to form into something bigger, heavier, and much more powerful.

"Servant Saber," The young man spoke in a baritone voice as he leveled his glowing blue eyes at the necromancer. "I ask of you… are you worthy to be my Boss?"

Kairi frowned a bit since he realized that the Servant in front of him was not one of the Knights of the Round. However, he could not deny that the young man in front of him seemed immensely powerful.

So with a friendly smirk, Kairi greeted the Servant. "That's right. I'm Kairi Sisigou and I'm your Master." He said.

"Fine, contract approved. Mind telling me why we're in a graveyard?" Saber of Red questioned.

"Well, I'm a necromancer. So, being in a graveyard is natural for me since I've practically lived by them all my life." Kairi admitted.

The blonde man sighed, "Figures I'd be contracted to a creepy guy with a dead people fetish."

"Hey, I take offense to that!" The necromancer exclaimed, feeling a bit insulted.

Saber shrugged nonchalantly, "I call it as I see it." He stated.

Kairi sighed then glanced down at the piece of the Round Table that was used for the summoning. Since it was still in good condition, the mercenary thought he could sell it back to the Clock Tower for a decent amount of money if he survived the Grail War. With that thought nestled in the back of his mind, he took the catalyst in his large hand then stuffed it in his pocket.

"By the way," Kairi suddenly spoke, getting his Servant's attention. "What's your name?"

The blonde man looked at the necromancer for a second then spoke, "My name is Cloud. I'm a former SOLDIER First Class."

Just from that last phrase alone, Kairi had a feeling that he had summoned a one-of-a-kind Servant. If this 'Cloud' fellow is able to wield six swords then he must be pretty powerful.

Overall, he had a feeling that this Great Holy Grail War was going to be interesting…

* * *

**[Paris, France]**

* * *

It was late at night at an all-girls academy.

Many of the students were fast asleep in their beds… save for one.

"The Heavens tell of God's glory," The voice of a beautiful girl with long blonde hair and clad in a white nightdress prayed to her Lord and Savior. "The skies proclaim His handiwork. Speech is poured forth during the day. And knowledge-" She gasped.

A voice whispered in her ear. _**"Forgive me but I have need of your body. I hope my request does not trouble you."**_

While most would be put off by the voice, the girl could feel the warmth and care behind it as well as the presence that spoke to her. She smiled, feeling honored to be chosen. "Yes, Holy Maiden Jeanne. I shall be of power to you."

While the girl's roommate continued to sleep soundly, a heavenly golden glow began to emerge from the blonde's body. Once the light began to settle, she stood up with an aura of conviction and confidence.

She turned around, revealing the sharp yet gentle color of her purple eyes. They were not the eyes of a sweet, young woman though…

...they were the eyes of a warrior.

* * *

**[Meanwhile…]**

* * *

After the summoning of the Servants of Red and Black, another Heroic Spirit was being summoned as an enforcer for Ruler.

The Grail had searched many dimensions to find the perfect warrior that would protect its mediator from any who would dare to seek to harm them.

Eventually, it _found_ such a warrior…

In an abandoned church, a white summoning circle appeared before a large symbol of the Christian faith. Light poured from the ritual as a figure slowly emerged at the Grail's calling. Once the light began to fade, the newly-arrived Servant stood in unfamiliar surroundings while information poured into their skull. As their temporary headache settled, the Heroic Spirit looked up at the broken roof to stare at the sight of the Earth's Moon.

"So I've been summoned as Saver… and I must protect Ruler…" The figure spoke in a youthful masculine voice, signifying their gender as male.

The hero chuckled softly, "Fate sure has a funny way of telling a man." The Servant Saver looked ahead. "Very well then, by my title as the Warrior of Light, I will protect Ruler until my dying breath."

With that said, the Heroic Spirit known as Saver set out to find his charge into an all-new world that seemed alien to him.

* * *

**A/N: That's it for the prologue chapter. If you have any disagreements with the choice in Servants for the Black Faction as well as Saber of Red? Too bad. However, you do have the option of choosing the remaining Servants for the Red Faction. The catch is that they have to be Final Fantasy characters.**

**If you're all still confused on who the selected Servants are then I'll gladly put up a small list to showcase who they are.**

**Anyway, review and comment on this if you like. Love it, hate it, but just know that you've read it.**

**Peace out, everyone!**

* * *

_**[Servant List]**_

**Saber of Black:** Noctis Lucis Caelum

**Archer of Black:** Vincent Valentine

**Lancer of Black:** Kain Highwind

**Rider of Black:** Lightning Farron

**Berserker of Black:** Jecht

**Caster of Black:** Y'shtola Rhul

**Assassin of Black:** Sephiroth

**Saber of Red:** Cloud Strife

**Ruler:** Jeanne d'Arc

**Saver:** Warrior of Light


	2. The Holy Maiden and her Saver

**What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you the next chapter to Dissidia/Apocrypha. It just started and there's already people liking it. I'm quite proud of myself.**

**Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OC, the Fate series or the Final Fantasy series. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

**Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!**

* * *

**Dissidia/Apocrypha**

* * *

**Chapter 1:** The Holy Maiden and her Saver

* * *

**[France]**

* * *

After possessing the girl known as Laeticia, the Servant called Ruler quickly dressed out of the nightgown and into a set of traveling clothes (which consisted of Laeticia's school uniform). She took out a travel suitcase and began to pack a few essentials for her journey to Trifas. Those items being extra clothes, toiletries, and a few school supplies.

Though she knew how to read and write when she was alive, Ruler felt apprehensive in 'studying' and 'homework' but if she was going to use Laeticia's body as a vessel for the remainder of the Holy Grail War then she had to also accept the responsibilities that came with it.

She had felt a disturbance from the Holy Grail. It was partly the reason why she was summoned in the first place. However, she had nothing to anchor her spirit in the Physical World so she searched for a suitable body to act as her vessel. Luckily, Laeticia, who strangely bore a resemblance to her, gave Ruler permission to use the girl's body as a vessel.

Ruler checked 'her' wallet to make sure it had an adequate sum of money inside. Once she placed the letter on the desk saying that she was taking a few days off from school to visit relatives, the Servant grabbed her suitcase and made her way to the bus stop.

The journey to Trifas would take almost a day to reach by automobile and the bus had a limit in which it could drive. She'll have to flag a passerby down to continue her travels to the site of the Great Holy Grail War.

The blonde thought back to the information she received from the Grail. Seven Servants battling seven other Servants. A _true_ all-out war…

...and her role in all of this was to be a mediator. To enforce the rules of the Grail War if any Master or their Servant were to violate them. Then there was her supposed bodyguard...

A Servant placed in a Class that she had no knowledge of. The Grail hadn't decided to fill Ruler in on what sort of Heroic Spirit they would be but she would meet them soon enough at Trifas.

As she sat in the bus, looking out the window with an aloof expression, she closed her eyes to allow herself to rest for the journey.

* * *

**[Millennia Citadel]**

* * *

Caules and his own Servant were outside in the castle's garden. The Master was busy setting up a few disposable golems to be used as target practice for Berserker.

Meanwhile, said Servant of Madness was busy guzzling himself with a few bottles of wine that he pilfered from the castle's wine cellar. A few of those bottles came from Darnic's personal stash.

Honestly, Caules wanted to slam his head repeatedly on his desk because Jecht had proved to be nothing more than a drunken, uncouth meathead who'd rather drink and sleep all day.

"Come on, Berserker," The young man sighed. "This is important. I have to gauge on the strength of your Noble Phantasm!"

"And I told you, brat: That using my Noble Phantasm is a big risk. Not only would I lose the sanity I have right now but I'd run the risk of killing you. I can't have that. Besides, who else am I gonna kick around while I have some fun in this world?" The muscular oaf exclaimed while downing a bottle of wine then released a loud burp that grossed Caules out.

The young magus sighed, "Great… how the heck am I supposed to know how strong you are if I don't see the results of your Noble Phantasm?"

"Kid, even if I _don't_ use it, I'll still be the strongest Servant here. After all, nothing's remotely come close to beating me yet." Berserker boasted as he grabbed another bottle of wine then proceeded to drink it in front of Caules.

The Master of Berserker released a sigh, _'I wonder if Fiore is getting along with her Servant better than me…'_ He thought.

* * *

**[Meanwhile…]**

* * *

Inside the castle, Fiore was wheeled to an empty table while her Servant took an empty one across from her. A homunculus maid brought in two cups of hot tea for the Master-Servant pair.

The girl took a small sip from her tea then set her cup down, giving the man across from her a gentle smile. "Let's start over. I will be your Master for this War. I am Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia."

The vampiric-looking Servant nodded, his face an unreadable visage of calm. "Understood." He replied.

Fiore almost winced since Archer sounded as if he did not like to make conversation unless it was necessary.

The Servant noticed his Master's reaction and his expression turned soft, "Forgive me. Conversation has… never been my strong point."

Fiore's smile returned soon after, "It's alright." Her eyes lingered on the blood-red orbs of the dark-haired man. "I must ask. I heard the Grail grants a Servant knowledge of the modern world. I find that to be incredible."

Vincent allowed himself a small grin, "If we did not share the same language then that would make communication difficult."

A tinge of pink formed on the girl's cheeks. "I-I guess you have a point, Archer." She fiddled with her hands rather nervously.

"Is something wrong, Master?" He asked.

"Oh, um," Fiore's blush grew as she stumbled over her words. "W-well, don't take this the wrong way, Archer. But… I…" She trailed, unable to form the sentence she wanted.

Archer noticed this. "You were expecting a different Servant, is that right?" He inquired. The crippled girl made no move to answer but Vincent understood her silence. "I understand. Rest assured, I am not offended that you wanted to summon the Heroic Spirit that you wanted. I'm sure they would've been a great addition to the Black Faction."

"I'm so sorry," Fiore said softly.

Vincent froze when his Master said that. It reminded him of another woman… a woman he would've given his heart and soul for without question yet failed to protect.

"Lucrezia…" He said under his breath then focused his sight back on the girl, who had yet to look at him.

Fiore kept her gaze down to her hands, unable to look into the eyes of her Servant after she blatantly said that she wanted a different Servant. She wanted to say that she didn't mean to hurt his feelings or that she didn't want him to go away but all she could manage was a meager apology.

Before she mentally scolded herself, Fiore felt a leather-clad hand gently hold her hand. The action surprised the girl as she looked to the side to see Archer on one knee. From the way he was positioned, he looked like a knight kneeling before his princess (a thought which made her blush).

"Archer?" She spoke softly in confusion.

"Master," He said. Fiore felt her heart skip a beat at how gentle and warm his voice sounded. "I swear… that I will protect you with my life even if the whole world becomes your enemy. I will never abandon you." He vowed.

Even though the Servant said it in a way that embarrassed the girl and made her cheeks burn, Fiore couldn't help but smile beautifully at the man's promise.

She really lucked out on a wonderful Servant.

* * *

**[Dungeon]**

* * *

If there was one thing that Rider hated more than anything right now… it would be her so-called 'Master'.

From the moment her eyes landed on Celenike Iceholle Yggdmillennia, Rider instantly _hated_ the witch. Her mere presence was enough to make her killer instincts flood her brain and cut her down right then and there. However, she stayed her hand. Rider knew that she needed the woman to keep herself stable in the physical plane. Unfortunately, she had to deal with Celenike's… antics…

A soft, pleasured moan left the lips of said Master as she licked away at her Servant's bare midriff. Lightning was ordered to lay on a wooden table with her arms chained over her head while Celenike had her way with the Heroic Spirit. Obviously, the Rider-class Servant could break out of the chains anytime she wanted and simply shove the woman off of her. Then again, Celenike would just use a Command Seal just to have her _fun_… that's the kind of monster she is.

"Are you done yet?" Rider asked in a half-angry/half-bored tone.

The woman ceased her sexual assault on her 'defenseless' toy with a lustful, crazed grin. "Am I done yet?" She repeated then stared down at the rosette. "Hardly!"

Lightning rolled her eyes then used her supernatural strength to break out of her 'bindings' then pushed the witch off from her body. Celenike released a small yelp as she landed on her butt while the Heroic Spirit began to fasten her chest piece back onto her body.

"To think I've been reduced to some crazy woman's plaything…" The pink-haired woman said under her breath.

"Where are you going?" Celenike asked.

"Out on patrol. I can't stand another moment in this castle." Lightning answered, which was partly true but the real reason was that she wanted to get as far away from her 'Master' as possible.

After Rider left, Celenike licked her lower lip like she had found a new tasty morsel to eat. "I won't ever let you escape me." She said to herself while disturbingly grinding her body against the table. "Even if you're not the Servant I wanted… I'm determined to turn you into my plaything."

Even though she left the castle, Lightning felt a chill run down her spine.

* * *

**[Meanwhile…]**

* * *

Gordes sat on a luxurious couch with a bucket of ice on a coffee table and a bottle of fine whiskey right next to it. He brought up his right hand and snapped his fingers. "Show yourself, Saber!" The portly man ordered.

The black-garbed youth materialized out of thin air. His expression aloof and bored at the same time. "What is it, old man?"

The portly Master felt his eye twitch in annoyance at the Servant's disrespect but didn't allow himself to rise to it. He gave the Heroic Spirit a small glare, "From this moment on you will only focus on fighting. Is that understood?"

"Yeah, yeah," Saber of Black replied as he rubbed the back of his head.

"You are simply a Servant!" Gordes pointed out sternly. "A minion! Don't forget that and just do your job."

Noctis frowned in annoyance but sighed, "Alright, I get it."

'_It's like I'm dealing with a child…'_ Gordes thought with irritation written on his face before he closed his eyes, "Well, now that we have that settled. Feel free to tell me your wish."

"Wish?" The Saber-class Servant repeated.

"That's right," The portly man said harshly. "You were summoned because there was a wish you sought from the Holy Grail, right?"

"Huh…" Noctis rubbed his chin in thought. "Never really thought about it before. I guess… if I wanted to wish for something then… it would be to see those I care about again."

"Care to elaborate on that?" Gordes inquired.

"My 'brothers', I guess you could say. They were my traveling companions when I was still alive but I don't know what happened to them after I passed away." Noctis answered.

Gordes could understand that. After all, he had a wife and son back home as well. The portly Master had no absolution that he would survive this War but he would be damned if he didn't go back to his family.

"So your wish is to be with your friends and family then?" Gordes asked.

"That's right," Noctis nodded.

The Yggdmillennia Master was silent for a few seconds. "That's enough for now. Begone!" He ordered as Saber returned to Spirit Form. Gordes took hold of his glass filled with the expensive alcohol on the table and gave it a good gulp, allowing the burning liquid to fester in his belly.

'_I have no idea who that boy is but there's something he's not telling me.'_ Gordes thought as fuzzy images from Saber's past filled his head. _'The land he comes from is vastly different than our own yet he possesses magic or something akin to it anyways. When the Dream Cycle happens, I'll learn all I need from him soon enough.'_

* * *

**[Church]**

* * *

In Sighișoara, Kairi and his Servant approached the church that housed the Mage Association's contact from the Vatican. It had taken a while for the necromancer to find it but the written map he was given plus a few helpful guides from the locals made the trip bearable.

Saber of Red had gone into Spirit Form to conserve energy as he followed dutifully behind his Master. However, there was a sense of unease from the blonde Servant with each step they took towards the church.

When Kairi pushed the door open, he was greeted with the sight of a young priest, who was kneeling before an altar in prayer. The mercenary decided to get the priest's attention by tapping his knuckles on one of the many pews.

"I had an appointment arranged here," The Red Master of Saber spoke. "Are you the person I'm supposed to be talking to?"

The priest stood up then faced Kairi, who looked a little surprised to see a Japanese young man, possibly in his late teens to early twenties, with spiky white hair, bronze skin, and amber eyes. Though he looked young, the necromancer felt… uneasy about this man.

"This is correct. I'm sure you've guessed but I am the director," The young priest replied with a friendly, heartwarming smile. "My name is Shirou Kotomine."

"I'm Kairi Shishigou," The burly man greeted. "Mind if we just skip the pleasantries?"

Shirou approached the necromancer, his smile still present on his handsome face, "No, I don't mind at all." When he came to a stop a few feet away from the other Master, his amber gaze landed on the being standing next to Kairi. "And your Servant there?"

Before Kairi could speak, Saber of Red appeared beside the mercenary in a burst of blue light. "Hey-" The man was about to scold his Servant for appearing out of nowhere when the blonde held up a hand in response to silence the Master.

"_Something's not right. I think I should stay out just in case."_ Cloud mentally said to his Master.

Shirou, seemingly unaware of the mental conversation, spoke again, "Now I'll reveal mine." He glanced to his left as a new Servant appeared beside the young man.

The Heroic Spirit is revealed to be a bewitching yet beautiful woman. She wears a skin-tight red gown with a plunging neckline that exposes her neck, chest, stomach, and abdomen, and only partially obscures her breasts. A black collar extends down the neckline to her waist; the collar rests over her shoulders and covers the junction of her black feathered wings. Her skin is tattooed with lined patterns. She wears a gold necklace, earrings and hair jewelry among a headdress designed to pull her long silver hair up to resemble horns; silver bangs are left to frame her face. She has yellow eyes surrounded by purple eyeshadow and she wears deep red lipstick. She has no eyebrows, instead having tattoos. Her hands and feet also seem to take on the appearance of a beast complete with claws.

Kairi felt all of his instincts kick into overtime at the sight of the new Servant. There was something about her that was both enticing yet dangerous at the same time.

"Greetings," The woman spoke in a sultry tone that held a small, barely noticeable amount of poison in her words. "I am the Assassin of Red. My True Name is Ultimecia."

Cloud narrowed his glowing blue eyes at the woman, who merely smirked right back at him. His hand drifted onto the hilt of one of his many swords but Kairi used his own arm to hold the Saber-class Servant back from attacking an ally. The blonde SOLDIER reluctantly removed his hand from the sword's grip.

"Well, shall we exchange our information?" Shirou said in bemusement as if the brief momentary flux between the two Heroic Spirits hardly happened in front of him.

The two Red Masters sat on a pew while their Servants stood dutifully behind them. Even though they were allies, they had no reason to trust one another.

"Most of their Servants have assembled," Shirou informed the mercenary. "While previous reports would've detailed that the Black Faction's Lancer would've been Vlad III, we received new information that the Servant is a knight clad in dragon-like armor."

"Then I guess it must be a Servant related to dragons." Kairi theorized.

"That was my theory as well. However, our information on the other Servants of the Black Faction remains a mystery." The priest added.

"And what about our Servants?" The necromancer had to ask.

"In terms of quality, they are simply outstanding Heroic Spirits," Shirou answered with his smile still present.

Kairi looked at Ultimecia, who merely folded her arms under her breasts, making the burly man focus a bit too much on those particular assets from behind his sunglasses.

The Assassin of Red felt another pair of eyes on her and glanced at her fellow Red Servant, Saber. The blonde man's gaze was neutral but there was an underlying bit of suspicion hidden in those glowing blue eyes of his. The bewitching woman merely gave the swordsman a bemused smirk.

"Also," Shirou spoke up. "A summoning of a Ruler-class has already been confirmed."

"So there's a fifteenth Servant out there, huh?" Kairi remarked.

Shirou nodded, "Ruler is the Class that organizes a Holy Grail War. _Naturally_, one would be summoned for this Great Holy Grail War."

"Can't say I'm thrilled with the idea of them watching me," Kairi admitted while messing with his mane of brown hair in annoyance.

The young priest released a small chuckle then stood up, "Now then. Why don't we go and meet with the other Masters?" He suggested.

Cloud looked down at his Master with a cautious look in his eyes. Kairi noticed this then looked down, "I don't need to meet with the other Masters." He replied to the Overseer.

"You don't?"

"We're just gonna handle things on our own," The mercenary stated. "Since Saber has enough power to handle battles solo, I'm sure we can handle anything that the Black Faction throws at us."

Shirou, keeping up his polite facade, spoke again, "Do you not work well in groups?"

Kairi had a stern look on his face, "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

With nothing else left to say, the necromancer and his Servant began to leave the church. However, before they left, Assassin of Red spoke up. "The enemy has completely established itself as an army. If you move of your own accord, our own Faction would suffer from inconveniences. And you still intend to leave?"

"That's right," Kairi replied as he closed the door but not before saying. "My apologies."

As the Master-Servant pair leave, with Saber returning to Spirit Form, the invisible blonde Servant kept a watchful eye out for any trouble while his Master spoke to him.

"Are they following us?" Kairi asked.

"_**No, we're good. An Assassin would need to materialize in order to attack. Something like that would be hard to miss."**_ Cloud answered.

"Good," The necromancer said.

"_**Boss, why didn't you join forces with them?"**_ The Saber-class Servant inquired.

Kairi smirked as he glanced back as if looking at his invisible Servant. "You didn't want to, right?"

He could almost feel the inquisitive stare on his Servant's face, _**"I don't know why but there's something about that Ultimecia woman. I could smell death upon her and she seems to enjoy it as well. In other words, she's someone that should never be trusted."**_

"Then I made the right decision," Kairi said with a smirk. "Glad your Instincts could be trusted."

"_**Hmph, as long as you're not an idiot to be fooled by a woman then I've got nothing to worry about,"**_ Cloud remarked.

"Well, thanks, Saber," The necromancer said as he came upon a street with a few local townspeople, who hardly gave the man the time of day. "Now, let's head out to Trifas."

"_**By the way, can you do me a solid?"**_

"A solid?" Kairi repeated in slight confusion.

* * *

**[Meanwhile…]**

* * *

"It seems they do not trust us," Shirou Kotomine said from within the church.

"Surely, you do not believe it to be my fault, Master," Ultimecia stated.

The priest lightly chuckled then began to idly play with one of his snow-white bangs. "Though we were unable to learn Saber's True Name. A Noble Phantasm or a Passive Skill perhaps."

"I propose we eliminate both of them." The Assassin of Red suggested with her arms folded beneath her breasts.

"Not yet. They seek the Holy Grail so they are allies… for the moment," Shirou said to his Servant.

The bewitching woman hummed in response, "Then I must hasten preparations for my castle."

With his smile still present, Shirou glanced at his Servant, "I had heard that the ritual for it will be completed in a few days."

"Correct, there are no-" Ultimecia was cut off when the door to the church opened, allowing a new occupant to arrive.

"Pardon me. I've just returned from the market." A youthful, feminine voice spoke, drawing the attention of Assassin and her Master.

The newcomer is revealed to be a beautiful young woman with shoulder-length brunette hair and heterochromia eyes: the left being blue and right being green. She wore a purple pleated, flower-patterned skirt; black boots; a black spaghetti-string camisole under a white sash that wraps around her neck and over her chest; and a yellow patterned obi with a chōchō musubi knot and a decorative obidome to clinch the cords. Two separate, kimono-like pink and white sleeves secured by purple cords complete the outfit. She wears a blue-beaded earring on her right ear, hidden by a lock of her hair, woven into blue beads with gold rings around the larger, middle bead. She wears a silver necklace of a hibiscus flower along with a matching ring on the pinky of her right hand. She also wears a silver ring on the middle finger of her left hand and two bracelets, one beaded and one silver, on her right wrist. In her hands, she carried a staff based on the Khakkhara, a staff used by practitioners of Buddhism.

"Caster, so good to see you," Shirou said with his smile present.

"Forgive me, Sir Shirou. I didn't mean to interrupt your conversation with Assassin." The newly arrived Caster of Red said to the priest.

"It's alright. Is there something you needed?" Shirou asked with a smile that drew a small tinge of red on the young woman's cheeks. Assassin of Red noticed this and scowled at her fellow Servant.

"Um, yes," Caster shook off her embarrassment and looked into the man's amber gaze. "Berserker has taken off for the Black Faction's stronghold."

"Hm?" Shirou inclined a brow with interest.

"Do you jest?" Ultimecia inquired.

"I do not. He has gone off to attack the enemy. He said something about "hunting new beasts" or something along those lines." Caster replied.

"Do you perchance know as to why Berserker went off on his own?" The red-garbed woman questioned.

"I do not." The Caster-class Servant shook her head.

"Worry not, fair Yuna. I'll be sending Archer and Rider to recover him." Shirou assured the girl, who looked away in embarrassment. "In the meantime, we'll just wait and see as to how these events progress."

* * *

**[Forest of Sighișoara]**

* * *

Gheorghe Agarici had lived in Sighișoara all his life. It was where he had been born, where he grew up, apart from a few years in America going to College, and it was even where he had met his wife with whom he had been married to for thirty long, happy, and invigorating years.

Their anniversary was coming up, and he wanted to surprise her with a nice dinner of freshly caught venison, which was why he was now out here, in the early hours of the dawn, with a rifle, so as to bag their anniversary dinner meal. He figured it would be paired best with some wild rice and fresh greens.

It had taken Gheorge a while, but thanks to the lessons his own father had taught him, he had finally managed to find a nice deer. Not too old, but not too young. This one did not seem to have any progeny, which was good, for he too had cried during the part of that American cartoon film with the deer, where his mother had died.

He lined up his shot… flicked off the safety… readied the trigger… aimed…

_Thud, Thud, Thud!_

The sudden shaking of the ground and trees behind him threw off his aim, making him fire above the deer, thus causing it to run off in fright.

"Futu-i! Doamne, nenorocitule!" he exclaimed, swinging his gun around to aim at the source of… the… footsteps?

Now standing in front of him was a veritable giant, dressed only in armor that resembled a cross between a demonic knight and a Japanese samurai. The giant wore a full-plated armor colored in burgundy, with winged motifs on his shoulder pads. He wears two separately colored sashes; a red sash that also can be seen wrapped across his body and arms, and an orange sash wrapped around his waist. His helmet resembles a mask with four horns; two smaller horns extending from the crown, while the two larger ones extend from the side. The mouth and nose of the mask match the color of his burgundy armor, while the forehead and eyes are white with a skull-like motif and a large orb. On his hip was a large barrel-shaped holster with three different swords of Far Eastern design resting within.

The large man looked down upon the now petrified Gheorge, and seemed to almost smirk at him in amusement despite the mask covering his face.

With a rumbling chuckle, it slowly jogged past him, each step shaking the ground.

_Thud, thud, thud, thud…_

Idly, he noted that the gun had fallen out of his hands. At least he did not piss his pants, though, he felt very close to doing so. He would later discover that he had actually had a bit.

Maybe he should just serve fish or a nice goose instead. Yes, that would be nice. Deer was sometimes too gamey anyway. Yes, in fact, maybe he should not come back into the forest again for a bit…

So wrapped up was the frightened man in the mental act of calming down his frayed nerves, that he did not hear or registered the slight ruffling of a tree as two armored figures leaped off the branches, following in the direction of the stomping behemoth.

* * *

**[Trifas - Night]**

* * *

The sun had set, and night had now spread its velvety wings upon the city of Trifas. Oddly though, the streets seemed near-deserted, despite the fact that many lights were lit from each building. As such, To Kairi, it felt as if he and Saber were the only residents of the town. Out of the corner of his sunglasses, he studied his servant's new appearance.

His favor had been to procure some new clothes since the Servant's battle attire would give away his Class. That, and he didn't like astral form so much.

So, after the shopping trip, and a large dinner, as he had promised earlier, Saber was now garbed in a long-sleeved white collared shirt with a black leather vest, brown pants with a black leather belt, and white running shoes with black wolf designs.

"Not a bad choice in clothing, Boss." Saber of Red complimented as he admired his new attire. "Thanks."

"Don't worry about it. It was a necessary expense."

In the near distance, Millennia Castle loomed ominously from atop its large hill. Unbeknownst to the walking pair, flying overhead was a strange, rocky thing shaped like an owl, a single eye dominating its entire head, which was currently centered straight onto them.

Saber scanned the area, "It's strange. Here we are, as bold as brass, walking through the heart of the enemy's territory, and yet nobody has attacked us yet."

"Rest assured, this town is definitely under the control of the Yggdmillennia," Kairi said to his Servant.

The blonde man glanced at the necromancer, "And what do you mean by that?"

Suddenly, the pair stopped walking. Standing in front of them was a large group of Yggdmillennia homunculi, each armed with, and armored in, high-quality-looking weapons and light armor. Alongside these blank faced warriors were large golems made of steel and stone, each which looked like they could crush Kairi's skull with little to no effort.

As Kairi un-holstered his sawed-off shotgun, Saber released a brief chuckle as he stuffed his hands into his pants pockets. "I get it now. I believed it was just me but you used yourself as a decoy as well. You're a crazy man, Boss." His lips curved into a brief smirk. "Though I've got no problem with that."

Atop the rooftop, homunculi snipers took up positions with bows and arrows.

Despite the fact that they were being surrounded, Kairi remained oddly unperturbed about their situation, at least on the surface, while, internally, he was understandably a bit wary about their situation. "You take care of the golems. I'll focus on getting rid of the homunculi."

"Understood," Cloud said as he popped his neck.

"Right. Show me the extent of your powers, Saber!" As he exclaimed this, Kairi rushed forward towards their attackers, shotgun at the ready.

As his Master ran off, Saber turned and looked at the approaching golems with boredom, not even moving as one slammed down its massive club upon his head. At least this should be fun.

Suddenly, it stopped. Saber had managed to block it with a glove-covered hand. As golem and Servant struggled against each other, Saber smirked. "You got it, Boss!"

In the next instant, he sent the golem crashing into the building on his right with a large explosion of stone and debris.

As another rushed towards him, the Servant of the Sword dodged its club by dashing backward in a burst of wind as his black attire replaced his previous outfit. He outstretched his arms, allowing his main sword, First Sword, to appear in the right hand while the Hollow Blade appeared in his left hand.

The first golem tried to crush the Servant under its club but Saber slashed with the sword in his left hand, removing the golem's arm then proceeded to cut it in four different pieces with the sword in his right hand.

Sensing danger, the swordsman leaped into the air, twirling and flipping as if he were an Olympic gymnast as a second golem that tried to sneak up on him slammed its club into the ground on the spot that Saber previously stood. Landing on the wall of a building, he kicked off the brick wall and dashed towards his next target, slamming the edges of both swords into the stone golem with enough force to shatter it into pieces.

As more of the stony brutes came rumbling towards him, the Guardian of the Lifestream glanced at each of his opponents with his eyes shining with the ferocity of a hungry wolf.

This was almost getting _interesting_.

It was through a combination of instinct, speed, and pure dumb luck that Kairi had not been sliced to ribbons yet by the homunculi, and thus had to be continuously moving backward, without firing off a shot as of yet. To be fair, it was not like he had any experience fighting against people who used freaking halberds before!

With adrenaline pumping speed through his legs, Kairi turned and ran, scrambling and sliding across and behind a dumpster bin to avoid the three halberd-wielding homunculi who were hot on his heels.

As they attempted to flank him, Kairi spun on his heel, aimed, and let loose his gun's payload; bullets crafted from the finger bones of dead magi. Before they knew what had hit them, two of the homunculi were already dead, with their blood staining the wall behind them as they collapsed to the ground. The third one, though his neck was already leaking blood, somehow managed to remain upright. As he did, he gasped out, "Is… this… Gandr?"

It was, again, more through luck than anything that Kairi managed to notice, out of the corner of his eye, the arrows arcing towards him, and was barely able to scurry behind the dumpster bin for cover. As the sniping homunculi continued to rain down arrows upon him, he reached into his jacket and pulled out a curious object. It was what looked like a beating heart with a grenade pin mechanism attached to it.

Flicking off the pin, Kairi threw it up towards the archers. Although they managed to quickly perforate the strange grenade with their arrows, they had unknowingly fallen right into the Necromancer's trap. As the grenade exploded, a dark purple mist shot out of the heart's tubes and settled upon the archers. A second later, the ones caught in the blast radius began to choke and spit up blood as the poison swiftly entered their bodies, killing them through immediate multiple organ failure, while their faces contorted into expressions of agony as they died.

Meanwhile, Saber was swiftly finishing up the remainder of the golems. As another fell to his impaling sword, one with a large crossbow attached to its right arm took aim from the roof.

Thanks to his instincts, and without even looking, Saber sent his Hollow Blade spinning behind his back with a simple toss and through the air like a boomerang towards the archer, smashing it into pieces.

Despite losing one weapon, the swordsman didn't seem deterred by his only blade. With a swift flourish, Saber turned the last golem into a pile of rubble.

With that, the battle had ended.

As Cloud nonchalantly caught his other blade without looking, Kairi approached his Servant, bolstering his shotgun. "Looks like we're done here," he said.

"I'm surprised by your skill, Boss," Saber said, as he sheathed his two swords into their respective holsters on his waist.

"Heh. I've been in more than a fair share of scraps." He then looked around at the now quiet battlefield. "Odd. Why did they go all out like that?"

"All out? That was hardly worth our time. Not a single one of them sent a Servant to fight us."

"Well, let's retreat for tonight." As he spoke, the Necromancer bent down to retrieve one of the large purple gems that had acted as the golem's magical core. "At least it wasn't a complete waste though."

As he pocketed the gem, Saber lightly slapped him on the back, like they were old chums celebrating the victory of their favorite sports team. "Well, with that out of the way… Tell me, what did you think of my abilities?"

Kairi smiled as he looked at him. "I have to admit, you're quite good. Truly, I've ended up with a very magnificent Servant here."

Saber smirked, "And I seem to be fortunate that I have a Boss that can actually fight."

"Yeah, though, if I were to critique you…"

"Critique? What for? I didn't even break a sweat."

"Perhaps, but that last part, with you throwing your sword? That may have been a bit much."

"That was tame compared to my fights with monsters."

"Hmm. I think I can agree with that."

At that, the two began to walk away, leaving behind the demolished golems, and the dead homunculi.

Once again, the night settled was covered with a blanket of quiet and rest, and the hours continued to pass without fail. All the while, the flying, one-eyed familiar continued hovering and watching…

* * *

**[Millennia Citadel]**

* * *

Thanks to the flying familiar golem, the entirety of the Black Faction within the castle had borne witness to the battle, and, more importantly, to the prowess and abilities of Saber and his Master.

Darnic was the first to speak. "Hmmm. Strong indeed."

"Even putting aside the fact that it was done by a Saber," Y'shtola said, praise evident in her tone. "That was rather exceptional."

Kain Highwind looked at the image in thought then turned his gaze down to the Black Faction's own Saber. "Can you win?" The Lone Dragoon asked.

The Chosen King looked at the Servant of the Spear, and then gave a small nod of his head. "Yeah, I think I can beat him."

Coming from anyone else, this would have sounded like a boast, but, from Noctis Lucis Caelum, it was nothing more than a fact.

"Excellent."

Meanwhile, Archer had watched the entirety of the fight with a solemn look on his face. The moment that Saber of Red had engaged the golems in battle, he _knew_ exactly the Heroic Spirit's True Name.

_'I guess we were destined to be on opposite sides… But, it is good to see you again, Cloud Strife.'_ Vincent thought with a sad smile.

* * *

**[Biserica din Deal]**

* * *

Shirou kneeled at the altar, hands clasped in prayer. He was praying for many things, among which included success in his future endeavors, clarity of mind, as well as a sign that he was on the right path. As always, though, the Lord deigned not to answer in words. Instead, Shirou revisited the memories of his past... A burning city, people crying out in pain for salvation...

As he finished his silent prayer, he opened his eyes and smiled, since he felt that he was no longer alone.

"You kept me waiting," Shirou said to the newcomer, who appeared in a flash of gold sparks.

"I have received a command from my Master. I have been told that _you_ are in charge of support." The newcomer, a Servant, spoke in a clear-cut masculine voice. He was clad in a suit of black armor with indigo and gold linings, complete with a spiked helmet.

"Yes," Shirou replied as he greeted the Servant. "Ruler is currently headed to Trifas. Her existence will serve as an obstacle to us. I want you to eliminate her, Cecil."

The dark knight looked at the priest with gleaming white eyes from his helmet. "As you wish," He replied.

* * *

**[Meanwhile…]**

* * *

After Saver had left the church he had been summoned in, the Heroic Spirit traversed his current surroundings, finding them interesting and quite magnificent to gaze upon. Apparently, he was in a city called "London" in a country called "England".

Though the sights were nothing like the land he hailed from back in his world, the Earth's humanity still had some wonders that enticed him.

Such as food, for instance.

Good Gods, he couldn't get enough of the delicacies known as "milkshakes" by the common man that worked the establishments of fast food. And the enriching flavors of "burgers" was most excellent.

Ah, but Saver had neither the time nor the stomach to indulge in this world's various cultures and people. He needed to get to Trifas and find Ruler immediately.

Thanks to the Grail for granting him information on a worldwide hub called the "Internet", Saver had tracked his current position and that of Trifas via a magnificent device known as a "computer". Though the map was small, the Servant had quite a journey to progress.

He idly wondered if he should take one of these metal airships as transport but realized that he had no form of identification for such a thing.

So, he settled upon using one of his own mounts for the journey. Though, maybe riding upon a dragon was a bit too much…

* * *

**[Trifas]**

* * *

While Saver used his own form of transportation, Ruler managed to arrive in Romania thanks in part to both her Charisma skills and a few kind-hearted people, including the nice man that allowed her to hitchhike on his pickup truck in the back. When he asked why she was heading to Trifas, the blonde girl merely lied and said that she was doing a school project.

So, here she sat in the back. Allowing the gentle breeze to caress her skin as her thoughts drifted on the upcoming confrontation between the Black and Red Factions. Though they did drift over to her supposed protector, who had yet to present themselves, the mysterious Servant known as Saver. Just the name alone sparked some measure of interest in the Saint of Orlean's mind.

Suddenly, she felt a presence approaching from afar… the sign of a Servant.

Jeanne leaned her upper body towards the driver's seat to speak to the older man, "Please turn back. It is extremely dangerous here."

The driver gave the girl an incredulous look, "And just leave you out on the dark road? I'd never do that to a young lady."

For some reason, the young lady's eyes gained a more lustrous purple gleam which felt oddly hypnotic to the man.

Jeanne spoke in a clear tone of voice with a slight boost by her Charisma. "Do it!" She ordered.

Without much choice, the mesmerized driver pulled the truck over, allowing Jeanne to hop out of the vehicle with her traveling suitcase. She watched in relief as the driver took off in the opposite direction back home while the mediator for the Great Holy Grail War turned to face the Servant that approached her.

"I take it that _you_ are Servant Ruler?" A voice asked as Jeanne stared up at a street light and standing upon the metal was the black-suited Servant, Lancer of Red. "Prepare." He warned.

Ruler gasped as the black knight came down upon her faster than a normal human could react. He struck with his spear, sending dust everywhere. Jeanne emerged from the cloud in her battle attire as her boots loudly skidded across the granite road.

The blonde maiden could hear the dark knight's boots clink against the ground as he emerged from the cloud of dust. "Lancer of Red, Lunarian King of Baron," She spoke, glaring at the approaching Servant. "You must be Cecil Harvey."

"So you know my name. I'm honored." The Lancer-class Servant replied with an inclination of his head.

"I am the arbitrator of the Holy Grail War, Jeanne d'Arc. Do you understand the meaning behind bearing your fangs at me?" Ruler questioned her fellow Servant.

"Unfortunately, the answer should be obvious," Cecil said as he spun the wicked edges of the lance-sword, Dark Fang, between his fingers. "My presence here is a declaration of war."

Jeanne narrowed her eyes, "What purpose is there for you to eliminate me?"

"Truthfully, I don't know. However, my Master has decreed that you must perish and, as a knight, I am honor-bound to follow their commands." He stated. Cecil brings up Dark Fang as an aura of darkness shrouds the weapon, forcing Jeanne to prepare for retaliation.

"Lancer…" She spoke softly.

"It is time to end this. Forgive me, Ruler, but I must destroy you." The dark knight enters his combat stand as his helm's eyes glowed in the darkness like a demon from hell. "One attack should be enough to end this fight." Jeanne brought up her war flag in defense as the Lunarian King prepared to attack before…

"Saber, get him!"

Sensing danger, Cecil swung his spear to deflect the blade that narrowly came close to his neck as his assailant flipped through the air and landed in a crouch in front of Ruler. The warrior revealing himself to be Saber of Black. In the young man's right hand is a peculiar sword with an engine for a grip and handguard.

"You are the Saber of the Black Faction," Cecil spoke to his adversary.

"Got that right, Lancer of Red." Noctis replied as he stood back up, glaring at the dark knight.

Despite his face not being shown, Cecil allowed himself a smirk beneath his helm. "Well, since your arrival here… can I assume that you're here for the Ruler as well?"

Noctis smirked, "That obvious, huh?"

"That was a close one, Ruler!" A rather obese man with a thick blond mustache under his nose and a rather obvious combover jogged over to Jeanne. His hand was raised in greeting.

"I take it you are Saber of Black's Master?" Jeanne inquired.

The man panted from his run but had a proud smile on his face at Jeanne's words. "That is correct. I am Gordes Musik Yggdmillenia. It is a pleasure to meet you. Now then…"

He whirled on Cecil. "Lancer of Red! We arrived just in time to clearly witness you attempting to murder Ruler. Plotting to eliminate the Arbitrator of the Holy Grail War is in direct violation of the rules!"

"I do not deny it. However," The Dark Knight focused his gaze on Noctis. "Now that the Black Faction is here, I must attend with you two."

"Silence! Prepare to accept your sentence!" Gordes shouted at the Lancer before he glanced at Ruler with a confident smirk. "Which will be swiftly delivered by Saber and Ruler."

"Sorry," Ruler interjected, drawing a gasp from Gordes. "I've no reservations of _you_ fighting here if you wish. Rest assured, a battle between Servants is not something I would wish to interfere with."

"What!?" The portly man exclaimed in shock.

"Lancer of Red making reckless threats on my life and a sudden battle between he and Saber of Black are two entirely different matters." Jeanne explained as she looked at the dark knight, who patiently waited. "As Ruler, it is my duty to uphold the rules of the battle before me."

Cecil leveled a small glare at Gordes, who flinched back despite not seeing said glare, "So you intended to fight me by instigating Ruler as an ally." He brought up his spear and directed it at his three adversaries. "It makes no difference. I shall defeat you all."

Gordes nearly popped a gasket and angrily shouted, "Saber, kill him! I want you to slaughter that Lancer of Red!"

Noctis brought up his Engine Blade, entering a combat stance. "You got it."

"Well then, it seems we can proceed with our duel, Saber of Black." Cecil said with an unseen grin on his face. "Don't hold back on me."

Noctis smirked at his opponent, "I should be saying that to you."

The Red Servant's grin grew into a smile. He would greatly enjoy dueling such a warrior. He spun his spear and entered his battle stance, "I am the Lunarian King of Baron, Cecil Harvey." He proudly declared his name and title.

"I'm Noctis Lucis Caelum, King of Lucis. Prepare yourself, Cecil Harvey!" The Chosen King declared as he and his adversary lunged at one another in a burst of speed, clashing their weapons against each other in a shower of sparks. The resulting attack elicited a powerful explosion that shook the very earth as Gordes and Jeanne watched, the former in slight trepidation while the latter watched in silence.

Noctis landed on his feet after recovering from the initial blast then reached behind his back to pull out a black ball coated in red energy. As Cecil approached the young prince, Noctis tossed the ball at the dark knight, who only had a second to dodge the ball before it exploded in a fiery blaze.

The Lancer of Red slid across the earth on his boots. His attunement with magic sensing the ethereal energy from the ball. "You store magic into catalysts. Effective and you hardly waste any mana." He praised.

"I thought we were fighting!" Noctis shouted as he dashed towards Cecil, slamming his sword against the spearman's weapon. The two locked weapons for a few seconds before breaking away and engaging in a flurry of strikes that blurred from the eyes of humans.

Their next clash sent Cecil up into the sky with Noctis following up with several slashes from his Engine Blade that forced the dark knight to block or parry with his spear. Having had enough of being on the defensive, Cecil released a dark purple aura that sent all of the Lucian King's instincts on maximum alert. Before he could mount a proper defense, the Lunarian King already unleashed a payload of dark energy orbs that struck Noctis, sending him crashing into the ground.

The Lancer-class Servant landed on his feet and stared at the dust cloud for a few seconds before he was forced to dodge a flying sword that nearly skewered his heart. However, his eyes widened in surprise when Noctis suddenly _warped_ out of thin air, grabbing his Engine Blade and using it to slash at the Lunarian King, forcing him to bring up his Dark Fang to block the attack.

Both Servants broke the weapon lock between them as they skid across the earth, keeping their guard up but allowing themselves to smirk.

"So you can warp. I've never seen such an ability before." Cecil admitted. "You are certainly worthy to be a Saber."

"Thanks, I could say the same thing about you." Noctis replied.

While the two knights were engaged in their epic duel to the death, Gordes and Jeanne watched the conflict on the sidelines.

Gordes looked at Ruler incredulously, "So you won't assist at all?! Cecil is your enemy as well, isn't he!?" He explained to the young woman.

"It is as I stated earlier," Jeanne remarked as she looked at the Black Faction Master. "I simply cannot interfere in a battle between Servants."

Feeling his anger (and blood pressure) boil in annoyance, the portly man decided to shout out to the heavens, "Show yourself to me, Master of Red! I will take you on myself, you miserable Mages Association dog!" He frantically looked around for his unseen enemy. "You're watching, aren't you!? You're watching, aren't you!"

He received no verbal response from his mad rant, which only furthered his embarrassment and anger.

"Dammit! Dammit! I am a Master! I can do this!" Gordes snarled under his breath. He stared down his Command Seals, shaking whether from fear or rage, even _he_ did not know.

Meanwhile, Noctis and Cecil made one last lunge, clashing their weapons against each other before they separated a few feet away. The Saber of Black looked ready for another fight but the Lancer of Red suddenly looked to the rising sun… then lowered his spear.

"It would seem I am being called back. Unfortunate, I was actually enjoying our battle, King Noctis." Cecil said to his opponent.

Noctis raised a brow in confusion then realized that if the two Servants continued their battle, it would draw the attention of the mundane. "Gotta admit… so was I."

The dark knight gave the Chosen King a brief nod, "I hope our next encounter will allow us to fight to our heart's content."

"Just so you know, I won't lose."

"Neither will I."

The two Knight-Class Servants gave each other a respective nod before Cecil began to vanish into his Astral Form.

"Lancer of Red, do not leave yet!" Jeanne called out to the Heroic Spirit that attacked her.

"Apologies, Ruler," The Lancer said, "I'll have to finish my prior engagement with you later." With that said, the Lunarian King vanished into motes of dark purple light.

Jeanne, despite not getting the answers she wanted, decided to praise Saber of Black for his performance. "Marvelous. What a splendid battle, Chosen King of Light."

"Meh, it was nothing," Noctis rubbed the back of his head in a rather laidback tone of voice.

Gordes approached the Ruler-class Servant with a smile. "Now that Lancer of Red is finally gone, will you please come with us to Millennia Citadel, Ruler?" He asked, praying that the young woman would be reasonable.

However, those hopes were dashed when Jeanne stoutly replied, "Negative, I must continue to remain impartial."

Gordes didn't give up in trying to persuade Ruler, "Yes, but our Lord's castle is a prime location for surveying the Great Holy Grail War!" He explained. "Please?"

"I appreciate your concern," Jeanne said to the portly man. "But my Skills allow me to perceive all of Trifas. So you need not worry."

The Black Master felt his left eye twitch in annoyance as he felt his irritation of being denied by a Servant reach an all-time high. However, he quickly kept his cool, despite gritting his teeth, "If you insist." He growled lowly then turned to leave. "Saber, let's go!" He ordered his Servant, who vanished into Astral Form while his Master returned to the black Mercedes with a homunculus driver waiting patiently for the man to return.

Jeanne watched silently as the Master of Black and his Servant left. Her thoughts drifted to the strange act of aggression that Lancer of Red had enacted due to orders by his Master. That alone should've told her that something was different in this Holy Grail War. Regardless, she would have to reserve her judgment until she arrived in Trifas.

Suddenly, she stopped as her gaze landed on the sight of Laeticia's luggage… or at least, what remained of it.

Ruler sighed in exasperation as she went about collecting each ruined article of clothing as well as the torn school books (which would no doubt get her host in trouble). Before she picked up a particular pair of underwear that Laeticia owned, she felt the presence of another Servant… one that now stood directly behind her.

Jeanne turned on her heel, war flag at the ready for battle, as her violet gaze focused intently on the new Servant. "Who are you?" She demanded.

The Servant in question is revealed to be a young man, who looked to be around Laeticia's age (or maybe a little older). He is of average height and weight with a muscular build usually hidden clothing. He has white skin, raven-black neck-length hair with blood-red highlights and trimmed with two fringes dangling on either side of his face, crimson red eyes, and a long scar over his left eye. He wore a red short-sleeved two-tailed coat of noble bearing with black and gold imprints, ash grey pants, black gloves, thigh-length black boots, and an earring on his left ear that seemed to be made of some sort of glowing blue crystal.

"I am known as Servant Saver," The young man greeted Ruler with a bow by placing his right hand over the area of his heart and lowering his upper body a bit. "I ask of you: Are you the Servant known as Ruler?"

Both Extra Classes stared each other down. Crimson red gazing into dark violet.

From then on, two legendary heroes met under the rising sun… their fates forever tied in this strange conflict of new and wondrous heroes.

A Ruler… and her Saver…

* * *

**A/N: Finally! I finished the chapter. I was hoping to finish this over Labor Day but I got caught up in other business… mainly video games… and television… and college classes…**

**NOW! I bet all of you who have read this are about to ask me: "What the hell! That guy isn't the Warrior of Light!"**

**Well, you would be correct. That guy isn't the **_**actual**_** Warrior of Light naturally featured in the Dissidia games. He is actually the Warrior of Light from Final Fantasy XIV. Primarily, he is my own avatar in the game.**

**Allow me to explain. You see, in the world of Final Fantasy XIV, the player character is caught up in a series of events that turns them into the Warrior of Light, regardless of gender or race. In fact, my avatar is just one of the many faces for the (XIV) Warrior of Light due to their Saint Graph being widely altered as a result. Meaning that anybody that has made a character in Final Fantasy XIV has the potential to become the Warrior of Light and to be summoned as a Servant in the Holy Grail War.**

**Now with that out of the way, I have introduced a few of the Red Faction. Fans of the Final Fantasy series may already know about Lancer, Caster, and Assassin. If you can figure out who Berserker of Red is then you get a cookie and the chance to petition who Rider of Red or Archer of Red shall be in the story. Seriously, I have no idea who to add to those last two slots. Help a brother out, please?**

**Be sure to review and comment if you wish. Love it, hate it, but just know that you've read it, sucka! ;3**

**Peace out, everyone!**


	3. To Be A Hero

**What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you the next chapter to Dissidia/Apocrypha.**

**Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OC, the Fate series or the Final Fantasy series. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

**Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!**

* * *

**Dissidia/Apocrypha**

* * *

**Chapter 2:** To Be A Hero

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**[Millennia Castle] **_**(Before Ruler's attempted assassination)**_

* * *

There are many things that Lightning never considered doing in her second chance of life. She never considered being part of a grand bloodsport. She never thought she'd be used as a sex toy by a deranged witch that was her 'Master'. And she _especially_ didn't think she would be watching over a half-dead homunculus child that couldn't even stand on his own two feet.

She remembered how she found him. The rosette had returned from her patrol only to be taken by her bitch of a Master to be used for her… urges. After she was done, Lightning left the disgusting presence of the insane Celenike as she stormed past a few wandering guards every once and a while until she came upon the pitiful form of a half-naked child who was far too thin to be able to walk straight. When she approached him, the boy gave her the most pitiful look on his face that struck at her heartstrings and asked her…

"_Help me… please…"_

A memory of another child that Lightning had grown fond of came back to her. The homunculus child was replaced by a boy with silver hair, greenish-blue eyes, and a youthful disposition that made him seem younger despite his age.

"Hope…" She said under her breath before making the decision to help the homunculus.

Lightning carried the boy on her shoulder, avoiding contact from the guards as well as the other Masters. While she had experience in healing magic, there was no doubt in her mind that Celenike would call upon her once more for another asinine 'play session'. So, she decided to seek assistance from one of her fellow Servants…

...she just _had_ to pick the guy that sucked at conversation.

Archer of Black, Vincent Valentine, was checking over the homunculus, who slept on his bed, with a stoic gaze. Despite his Class, he also possessed knowledge on how to perform magic. Though he was given more freedom by his Master, the man in red hardly had a need to use it, save for the occasional drink of red wine or brood out on a balcony to stare up at the moon.

"It would seem his Magic Circuits had run wild," Vincent explained after examining the Homunculus. "This, mixed with fatigue, exhausted him to the point of losing his consciousness."

"Is there a reason why he is fatigued?" Lightning questioned on the opposite side of the bed that the child slept in. Her eyes took a gander around the room. It didn't seem like much, despite it being a castle, just a desk with a lamp, a bookshelf with several novels and books, a one-person bed, and a small table with a chair that had a wine glass plus a rather expensive bottle of red wine resting upon the tabletop.

"It is likely that it was the first time he ever walked since he was born." The Archer of Black answered. He decided to explain further before the pink-haired woman could voice her question. "As you know, these homunculi exist to serve as batteries for replenishing magical energy, or prana."

"So… he really is just a child," Lightning said under her breath as she looked at the sleeping boy. Her gaze softened when her memories of a previous boy, who had been so lost and alone, found solace being with a person who had cut out her own emotions as well as her name to act like an adult.

Her fellow Servant looked at her, "Why did you save him, Rider?"

The former Savior glanced at Vincent and answered, "Because I wanted to. He asked for my help, I gave it to him. Most of all…" She placed a hand over the boy's own, watching him as he groaned and whimpered in his sleep. "...he reminded me of someone from my past life."

Archer of Black kept his stare upon Lightning for a few seconds before he closed his eyes, "Just like _them_." He said quietly to himself as he stood up from his chair and proceeded to the door. "Rider, if you do this then you're going to have to be responsible for him. I have no doubt in my mind that if the other Servants learn of this then they will either help you… or hinder you. Please be mindful of that." With that said, he left the bedroom altogether, leaving Lightning alone with the homunculus.

The Rider-class Servant returned her gaze back to the boy, a brief twitch on the corners of her lips indicated that she was glad to have an ally in Archer of Black, even if he didn't show it.

"Don't worry… I'll protect you for as long as I can," She said to the child, who remained asleep. "I promise…"

* * *

**[Meanwhile…] **_**(Present)**_

* * *

Two Servants stared each other down. One, a blonde girl with violet eyes. The other, a raven-haired young man with crimson eyes.

Ruler and Saver had decided to stop at a nearby church to rest. When the Sister that ran the place had asked as to why they came, Jeanne told her (with a little help from her Charisma skill) that she and her friend were visiting relatives but had lost their luggage during the flight over to Romania. Though it was partially true since the travel bag that Jeanne had carried was nothing but tatters along with all of Laeticia's spare clothes and school books (which would no doubt get her host in trouble). Hearing this, the Sister agreed to house the two Servants for as long as possible until they could get back on their feet so long as they helped around the church, which both agreed to in relief.

Now we find the abnormal Servants in the same spare guest bedroom on separate beds in a staring contest. An uncomfortable silence wafted in the air as Ruler kept her neutral gaze upon the rather stoic face of her bodyguard. Eventually, one of them decided to break the silence…

"Are you just going to stare at me all day or are you going to speak?" Saver questioned with a slight incline of his left brow.

"What is your True Name and where were you?" Ruler questioned in a tone befitting a scolding mother.

"In that order: I am Sorom Jaeger, the Warrior of Light from the Land of Eorzea. As for my whereabouts, I was summoned within a chapel at the country known as England." Saver answered.

Jeanne raised a delicate brow, "That far away?"

Sorom shrugged, "The Grail wasn't necessarily specific in where to summon me. Be thankful I was not sent halfway around the world."

The blonde sighed, "Fair enough, Saver."

"In any case, is there a reason as to why a Servant of the Red Faction would want you dead?" Saver questioned.

"Unfortunately, I do not yet know. Lancer of Red stated that it was his Master who had made such an order but it doesn't seem right…" Ruler folded her arms over her breasts, a hard look on her beautiful face. "Why would they have me killed?"

"Well, then it would seem that I have to be extra vigilant if I am to protect you, Ruler," Saver stated.

"I appreciate the gesture, Saver," The blonde girl said, rather dismissively. "But I can take care of myself."

"I have no doubt that you can," The Warrior of Light responded. "However, my task is to protect you. I am obligated to use whatever means necessary to do so, even if I have to eliminate the other Factions to do so."

Violet eyes widened a fraction as the mediator of the Holy Grail War stood up, "But that is against the rules! I cannot allow such-"

"Unfortunately, Ruler," Saver interjected. "The Grail has given me the authority to use any means to protect you. I have no need for a Master, nor do I need prana to maintain my connection to this world. My placement in the Saver Class grants me special privileges just like you. I am not limited by rules. I cannot ignore the cries of those that wish to be saved. I cannot allow any form of harm to come to your person."

Ruler frowned. "So, even if I enforce the rules, if a Servant from either Faction tries to kill me…" She trailed.

"I will mercilessly hunt them down and eliminate them." The raven-haired young man finished.

* * *

**[Millennia Citadel]**

* * *

He could see it all… He could hear it…

The cries of pain. The screams of terror. All of them hoping to whatever power above that they would be spared an agonizing fate.

He ran to them as much as his barely used legs would allow him. Coming off as a mere waltz with a bit of a stumble like a newborn babe. Horrified tears breaking at the corners of his eyes as he reached out to his 'siblings'.

The others, each of them floating in a large vat of green liquid, could do nothing but plead or call out for help that would never come.

Then it happened…

Each one of the homunculi within the vats began to evaporate, leaving not a trace of their existence.

He could see his lone remaining sister that floated in the vat. Her eyes terrified and pleading as she called out to him. "Save me, please! AHH-" She screamed before suffering the same fate as the rest of her kind.

He could do nothing but watch in despair as he failed to save them from death. So lost he was in his failure that he fell into the endless black abyss beneath him.

* * *

Bleary scarlet eyes opened as the Homunculus boy scanned his surroundings and found himself in an unfamiliar room. His gaze landed on the sleeping form of Rider of Black, who had fallen asleep in her seat.

"Who are you?" He asked.

Like her namesake, Lightning awoke with nary a twitch. She looked at the awoken homunculus and spoke, "Finally awake, huh? Good. Call me Lightning. I found you a few hours ago. Do you remember that?"

The boy, despite his tired expression, nodded. "Y-yes," He said then smiled. "Thank you very much."

"Don't worry about it." Lightning said before she focused her sight on the empty space next to the bed. "And the one currently hiding is Archer."

Before the homunculus could speak, Vincent appeared in motes of blue light. "I see you did not hesitate to reveal my presence, Rider."

"You weren't exactly subtle, Archer." Lightning snarked back with a thin smile.

"Rider… Archer…" The boy repeated before his eyes widened in shock with a little bit of terror.

"It would appear the child is scared." Archer of Black pointed out.

"Well, he _is_ in the presence of two Heroic Spirits." Rider stated.

"Fair point," Vincent nodded. His scarlet eyes stared down at the thin homunculus. "But this may frighten him even more. By my estimates, you only have three more years to live before you perish."

The artificial human looked sullen yet accepting, "I'm well aware…"

"You're a homunculus, which is known by magi as the perfect existence," Vincent explained to the boy. "If I were you, I'd start thinking about what you want to do."

The boy looked at the crimson Archer in confusion. "About what?" he asked.

"About what you want to do with your life," Archer answered.

At first, the homunculus seemed to contemplate this before he looked away with a frown, "I… don't know…"

"Then you'll have to make your decision soon. If it ever comes to a point in which you survive these events, you will have to take the first step towards what you wish to do with your life. Otherwise, not being able to do anything would be the same as dying."

"Dying!?" The boy repeated with wide eyes.

Archer sighed, "For the time being, you need to get some rest." He turned on his heel to leave then glanced at his comrade. "Come, Rider. We'll let him have a moment's peace."

"Alright," Lightning nodded as her fellow Servant went into astral form then glanced down at the boy, "Sleep well." She said before vanishing into motes of blue light.

The homunculus stared at the spot in which the two Servants once stood then laid his head back on the pillow. His eyes slowly closing until he fell right back to sleep.

* * *

**[Castle Gardens]**

* * *

"Geez, where in the world did that oaf get off to?" Caules wondered as he searched around the castle's garden.

He tried finding his Berserker in the wine cellar but he was nowhere in sight, save for the lack of wine bottles that would surely get Caules in trouble with Darnic. He tried the dining room but that proved to be fruitless as well.

So now he was searching the gardens. Hopefully, Caules could find Berserker, or at the very least, his trail of empty wine bottles.

"Hey, you made it, kid…" A familiar gruff voice slurred.

Speak of the devil...

Caules spotted his Servant resting against the base of a tree with several empty bottles of alcohol messily cluttered around his towering form. The young man sighed at the sight of the drunken hero then began to approach him.

"Berserker, can't you go one day without drinking?" The third-rate magus asked.

"Let me think _*hic*_ about that…" Berserker said then took a half-finished bottle of red wine and downed it in one gulp. "Nooope."

"Why do I even bother…" Caules sweatdropped.

"Geez, can you quit your nagging?" Jecht spat despite his drunken posture. "You're as bad as my kid…"

Caules blinked in surprise, "Wait, you had a kid?"

"Yeah, he was a lot like you... though he was a big crybaby." The Berserker of Black replied. Though his tone sounded dismissive, Caules could see in the man's eyes that he was reminiscing about many fond memories. "He's also the one that killed me before."

"Huh? Really?" Caules gaped in shock. "But why would he do that?"

"I didn't really give him much choice," Jecht admitted with a shrug. "At the time, I wasn't really… all there." He tapped his head with the gauntlet on his hand. "For what it's worth, I was glad he killed me. Mainly because I was more monster than man."

"So then… what is your wish?" Caules wondered.

"My wish?" The man raised a brow then closed his eyes in thought. "Well, if I had to wish for anything… it would be to go back to my son."

"That's it? No endless supply of alcohol?" The Master of Berserker asked in a joking manner.

"Oh, I can get that anytime I want. I'm pretty famous in my hometown." Jecht smirked. "But that's not what I want. I want to spend as much time as possible with my kid because… I wasn't really much of a father to him."

Caules fell silent as he watched his Servant look down with forlorn. Though the wish seemed simple, the young man could respect it since it was an honest and pure reason to fight.

* * *

**[Meanwhile…]**

* * *

Fiore had known many things about her Servant.

He was a selfless man with few material needs. He appeared unapproachable and frightening but he was kind and gentle. He was also a rather avid fan of black leather.

Though she was unprepared for the revelation of Archer's wish…

"Your wish is to bring someone back to life?" Fiore asked while her Servant poured his young Master a cup of warm tea.

"Yes," Vincent nodded. "Before I gained most of my abilities, I was a simple bodyguard to a scientist named Lucrecia."

Fiore felt something swell in her chest that made it hurt, "Was she… someone special to you?"

The crimson Archer closed his eyes as if remembering a particular memory then reopened them as he replied, "Yes, you could say that I was… infatuated with her."

"What happened?" She asked.

Vincent frowned. Images of a deranged madman of a scientist who stole the one he loved from him filled his head. "I lost her to someone else. After some time, I was injured and slowly dying before she managed to save my life by… transforming me into something else."

"But… what happened to her?" Fiore inquired.

He looked away with a sad look on his face, "She was driven mad by what happened to me as well as what happened in her personal life. In her grief, she tried to kill herself but only succeeded in trapping her body in crystal."

Fiore gasped in horror, "How terrible…"

Vincent nodded, "But… if I can acquire the Holy Grail then there's a chance that I can bring Lucrecia back. I failed her once before… I will not do so again."

Fiore could see the fire that burned in her Servant's eyes. She knew that Archer would stop at nothing to win the Grail and she was thankful that he was willing to fight but the ache in her heart lingered every time the man mentioned his lost love.

* * *

**[Graveyard]**

* * *

Beneath the catacombs of the Trifas graveyard, Kairi and Saber were hiding out in a well defendable position after their previous encounter with the Black Faction's forces.

Currently, the necromancer was sharpening a knife fashioned from the tooth of a hydra while his Servant was resting against the wall of the catacombs.

"Boss, I gotta ask…" Saber of Red spoke up, drawing Kairi's attention to him. "Why exactly did you pick this place?"

The burly man continued to sharpen his knife, "Because it's easy to defend and hard to assault. It's a good location for us to hide in."

Cloud nodded in response, "I can understand that."

"Something on your mind, Saber?" Kairi questioned.

"Not really," The spiky-haired blonde shrugged. "I'm a little curious about the Black Faction's Servants. So far, we only know about the Lancer but even those were vague."

"Yeah, I get where you're coming from. A knight in draconic armor isn't really much to go on." Kairi replied. "Still, it's better than nothing."

Cloud sighed, "Well, it wouldn't be the first time I've faced an enemy without knowing who or what they are."

"Glad to see you're optimistic," The necromancer said with a smirk before the sound of his magical typewriter drew his and Saber's attention. Once the skeletal hand holding the ink pen finished writing, Kairi took the paper to read the message. "It's from Shirou."

Cloud peeked over his Master's shoulder to read the contents, "So our Berserker has gone AWOL, huh?"

Kairi sighed, "Wonderful…"

* * *

**[Millennia Citadel]**

* * *

The Masters of Black, as well as their Servants, had all gathered in the throne room with a large magical display showcasing the approaching Berserker of Red, who advanced through the forest as well as the traps without any form of injury or resistance.

"Comrades," Darnic spoke upon the throne while Lancer stood dutifully beside him. "Regardless of the time of day, the Servant you see before you is heading straight for Millennia Citadel. I can only assume that this Servant is the Berserker of Red."

Caster narrowed her eyes when the familiar watching the Red Faction's Berserker was destroyed with a quick swipe of the warrior's sword. Her left hand instinctively went to her chest as if feeling the burn of an old wound.

Fiore with Archer holding the handles of her wheelchair looked to the patriarch of Yggdmillennia. "So what is to be done? Anything?" She asked.

"We take advantage of it, of course," Darnic answered with a smirk. "If we play our cards right then we can turn this Berserker of Red into our pawn."

"I would ill advise that, Lord Darnic." Y'shtola stated. "I know this Servant. In life, he was an enemy to my comrades and even succeeded in defeating our champion at first. He is not to be trifled with."

Darnic looked at the Caster of Black while Lancer spoke for his Master, "Do you know who he is, Caster?"

The miqo'te nodded with a grim expression. "He is known as Zenos yae Galvus, the Imperial Crown Prince of the Garlean Empire."

For some reason, all the Masters of Black felt a cold shiver run down their spines at the mention of the Berserker's True Name.

Darnic frowned, "If he is indeed as dangerous as you say, Caster, then we shall take precautions to eliminate him if we do not succeed in making him our pawn."

Y'shtola wanted to voice her disagreement but knew that Darnic had the final say as he was the leader of the Black Faction.

* * *

LINE BREAK

* * *

Night had encroached the entirety of the forest. However, there were no sounds of crickets chirping or owls hooting but rather the faint clash of steel against rock.

Berserker of Red, or Zenos yae Galvus, struck down another golem with his sword. The autonomous rock creatures doing little to even hurt the Servant due to his armor as well as his surprisingly well-coordinated attacks.

"Come now, beasts. Bear your fangs at me so that I may enjoy this hunt." Zenos said behind his helmet as he walked towards his next prey.

Meanwhile, watching the deranged Servant from above the treeline were two other Servants.

The first of these Servants is a tall, slim woman with tanned skin, thick, white hair styled in a ponytail and long claw-like fingernails. She also possesses red eyes and, strangely, long, leporine ears that are covered in white fur with speckles of brown fur at the tips. She is dressed in a revealing piece of armor that resembles lacy lingerie in the style of a teddy and stockings. Part of the material of her bodysuit and leg-wear is metal adorned with filigree. The front of her armor is open with a sheer piece of fabric covering her stomach. She has a "rabbit tail" style decorative piece at the small of her back though it was barely noticeable due to her hair. She also wears black elbow-length sleeves with red trimming fastened across her collar bone with a silver clip, slightly lower than the black band she wears around her neck. Her forearms are covered in armor similar in design to her bodice and leg-wear. She wears a headgear adorned in a way similar to her bodice. The headgear has openings for her long ears, and her hair tends to show around the sides. Finally, she wears open two-heeled stilettos with a claw-like design at the toes.

The second Servant is a tall man with straight light blonde shoulder-length hair, blue eyes, and a small goatee. He wears a formal black suit with matching gloves and boots, and a strange pendant around his neck.

"Do you believe we should abandon Berserker and leave, Rider?" The bunny-eared woman asked her companion, who was leaning on the base of a tree with his arms crossed.

The Rider of Red shrugged, "Hey if the guy wants to let out a little steam then let him. I'm not going down there and getting in his way, bunny."

The woman frowned at the Servant, "I told you not to call me that. Either refer to me as Archer or Fran, Snow Villiers."

"Right, right, sorry," Rider waved his hand with a goofy grin on his face. "So how about you and I go check out our competition?"

Fran rolled her eyes then focused back on the sight of Berserker continuing to slaughter the golems without remorse. "Very well. However, if Berserker should use his Noble Phantasm then we are to retreat immediately. That should please our Masters, at least."

Snow frowned as he looked at his right palm, "Our Masters, huh...? Hey, Fran, you ever meet your Master?"

"No," The Archer of Red shook her head in response, "The only Master I've met was the priest, Shirou. The Master of Assassin."

"The connection is there and orders are received… yet he _still_ doesn't show his face." Rider of Red said with a frown. "I've got a bad feeling about this.

Fran continued to watch as Berserker tore through the golems without hesitation or mercy. "From what I understand, it isn't uncommon for Magi to hide in the shadows. While it is understandable, I find it to be quite cowardly." She explained.

The Mad Prince of Garlemald had a smirk behind his helm, "Come, beasts! Show me more of your bite!"

Snow looked at the rampaging Berserker with a sigh, "If that dude keeps on going like this then he might unleash his Noble Phantasm. That won't be good for us."

While the Rider Servant continued to rant, Fran's rabbit ears twitched as she heard a sound in the distance. Her eyes narrowed as she looked straight ahead in the direction of the Black Faction's HQ.

The blonde man glanced at the Archer, "What is it?"

Standing up, Fran brought out an intricately made bow. "They are coming." She warned.

* * *

LINE BREAK

* * *

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Millennia Citadel, the gathered Masters and Servants of the Black Faction stood at the border of Yggdmillennia's forest.

"Hm, it would seem Caster's information on this Servant was rather spot on," Darnic comments as he listened to the approaching Berserker slaughter the golems that patrolled the forest. "The man is nothing but a wild animal simply fighting for the fun of it."

Rider of Black folded her arms over her breastplate, "I thought Berserkers weren't supposed to talk."

"Hey, I take offense to that!" Jecht angrily retorted.

"While it is a factor that Berserkers are known for their madness as well as their strength and endurance, there are notable exceptions to such limitations," Darnic explained to those gathered with him. "Regardless, we cannot simply let our guard down. If what Caster tells us is true then this Zenos could be quite a nuisance for us."

"Milord," Lancer of Black spoke to his Master as he stood dutifully behind him. "I believe now would be in our best interest to engage this Berserker of Red."

The patriarch of Yggdmillennia nodded in agreement, "Then it is time to begin our task." He glanced at the rosette beside him. "Rider, you will engage Berserker of Red in a battle to gauge his strength. Once we have sufficient information, we shall have Lancer and Caster assist you."

Celenike gave her Servant a stern glare, "Now is the time, Lightning! Go forth and show me your strength in battle!

Rider materialized her longsword, Crimson Blitz, and her shield, Night Lotus. "Roger that," She replied. "I'll be done with this in a flash." Without another word, Lightning took off in a burst of speed as befitting her name towards the approaching Berserker of Red. However, the moment that she entered the forest, her eyes witnessed her foe cut down two golems with a speed that befitted a Lancer.

Zenos noticed the new prey approach him and could feel the otherworldly presence radiating from her. "A new beast seeks to bare their fangs at me?" He took hold of the red katana in his right hand as it pulsed with undisputed bloodlust. "Come then, I would test thy skill in battle."

"You'll be getting more than you bargained, Berserker of Red." Lightning said as she glared at her opponent then lunged at Zenos with an overhead strike that clashed against the Imperial Prince's blade.

"Oh? I can sense you possess quite the spirit," The Berserker complimented as he pushed Lightning back with nary a flinch. "But you are not as powerful as _he_ was back in my lifetime."

The pink-haired Savior raised a brow in confusion about what her foe meant but shook it off as she refocused on her attack. The Rider of Black unleashed a barrage of quick strikes that looked invisible to the human eye but Berserker of Red either blocked or dodged each one without even trying. Lightning could only grit her teeth in mild frustration as she couldn't get a good hit on the Red Servant.

'_It's like all of my attacks barely faze him.'_ She mentally said to herself as she jumped back to avoid a bisecting slash that was aimed at her midsection.

"Such a disappointment." Berserker of Red said in slight discontent. "Though you possess the prowess of a Heroic Spirit, you're just not able to saute my thirst for the hunt."

"Then allow me to further your disappointment!" A voice interjected as a dark purple blur rushed towards the Garlean Prince, who was briefly surprised by the action before he quickly brought up his katana to block the spear of the Black Faction's Lancer.

"Do not interfere," Zenos warned in a bored manner as he pushed back against Kain's spear. However, the Dragoon smirked as he angled his body with the fluidity of a gymnast and struck the Berserker Servant with the heel of his armored boot, knocking the Garlean Prince back in momentary surprise.

"Unfortunately for you, Berserker, I do not abandon my comrades." Lancer of Black declared as he and Lightning went on the offensive, striking faster than the human eye could track as Berserker of Red is forced to use his katana as a means of defense while his armor suffered several knicks and scratches.

Zenos frowned behind his mask as he continued to parry and block his foes' meager blows against his person. Eventually, they will get past his guard and strike at his Spiritual Core. He could not have that. Not until he has either met _him_ again or faced an adversary that rivaled _his_ power. A small burst of mana sent both Black Servants back as the Berserker of Red entered a stance, sliding his katana into the revolver holster while an aura of lightning surrounded his body. **"Art of the Storm."** He said under his breath before he released a quickdraw slash with his katana as a shockwave of lightning and thunderous winds scattered the surrounding woods.

"Damn!" Kain cursed as he and Lightning brought their guard up as a way to tank the blow before a sphere of aetheric energy surrounded them, shielding them from the Garlean Prince's attack. The dragoon looked around at the magical barrier. "This is…"

"Pardon my tardiness," A familiar voice drew the two Black Servants' attention to an approaching Caster, who had her staff out as it pulsed with magic. "Despite being a Servant, I'm not at all as fast as all of you." She admitted.

"Nay, your timing was excellent, Caster," Lancer of Black praised the arrival of his ally. "I do not believe that I and Rider would've gotten out of that predicament unscathed."

"Thank me when we've defeated this mad beast." Y'shtola told the dragon knight. Her silver eyes glaring holes at the tall Servant, who had once been her and the Scions' greatest adversary.

Zenos raised a brow in slight interest, "Well now, this is certainly a surprise. You are one of _his_ comrades, are you not? I believe I met you once."

"Indeed," Y'shtola said with bitterness. "My body once tasted your steel."

"Aah, now I remember. The mage girl who tried to protect the savage in red. I was honestly surprised that you managed to live after succumbing to such a wound." The Red Servant stated. "Tell me… where is my enemy? My only friend? Is he amongst those summoned as a Servant of Black?"

The Miqo'te narrowed her eyes at the Garlean, "If you mean Eorzea's Champion, no. He was not summoned. At least, not to my knowledge."

Zenos frowned beneath his mask, "Pity. I was _so_ looking forward to our reunion with a duel. It would seem that I'll just have to settle with all of you." He sheathed his blade as the holster spun then he pulled out a sword that bore a definite likeness to a Japanese katana.

"Regardless if my comrade were here or not, he would never waste his time dealing with the likes of you." Y'shtola spat as she readied her staff for battle with Kain and Lightning mimicking their fellow Black Faction member's stance.

Berserker of Red made a small hum of noise as he readied his blade to spill the blood of his current prey. Their deaths should at least provide him with _some_ form of enjoyment.

However before he could make a move, Zenos suddenly froze as he felt his body being seized by an invisible grip. A low growl escaped his throat as he sheathed his sword and gave his prey one last look, "It would seem I am being ordered to return. Make no mistake, beasts. The next time we meet will be the last and not even my Master will stop me from slaying you." With that said, the Red Faction Berserker vanished into golden particles, allowing the three Black Servants to visibly relax.

"Well, Lady Luck seems to be smiling upon us," Lancer said as he glanced at Y'shtola. "This _friend_ you speak of, who was it that faced Berserker of Red?"

The Caster-class Servant closed her eyes in silence, "He was… a dear comrade. In life, he was my homeland's greatest hero and the world's champion."

Kain and Lightning glanced at one another when they heard the fondness in the Miqo'te woman's voice. They looked back at Y'shtola, "You speak of him as if he were something more." The dragoon said.

The cat-like woman looked away with her cheeks aglow. "I have no idea what you mean. Tis simply friendship between us." She immediately denied.

"Teasing Caster aside," A voice interjected, drawing the Servants' attention as Darnic, Celenike, and Roche approached their respective Servants. "You've all done wonderfully against Berserker. Even from further away, I could feel his bloodlust. Such a degenerate creature."

Kain faced his Master and bowed politely, "Your words do me honor, Master. Though I am loathed to admit that I could not slay Berserker of Red before he fled."

"It matters not," The patriarch of Yggdmillennia stated. "This brief skirmish has allowed us to gauge Berserker of Red's abilities. No doubt, he is a formidable opponent but he will still fall to our might."

"If that's everything then I'll be returning to the castle." Lightning said as she turned to the direction of Millennia Citadel and walked off.

"Rider, where are you going?" Celenike demanded.

The Rider of Black stopped in her tracks then glanced back at her Master, "Like I said, back to the castle. That Berserker forced me to expel far too much magical energy than necessary so I need to recharge." She lied, almost smirking with satisfaction when the witch seemed to accept it, despite her scowl. She continued on her path back to the castle, ignoring the looks she received from her fellow Servants and the other Black Faction Masters.

"A strange woman, that one." Caster of Black admitted.

"Agreed," Lancer of Black nodded in reply.

"In any case, we still have some rats to scurry," Darnic stated. _"Archer, are you in position?"_ He asked through the synchronized link.

From high atop of Millennia Citadel, Archer of Black, wielding a long-barreled sniper rifle, was perched among the scaffold with his Master waiting behind him. The crimson-garbed Servant kept a watchful eye on the forest through the scope of his rifle. _"Yes, I can see two figures in the shadows. No doubt the other Red Servants that followed Berserker of Red."_ He answered in return.

Darnic smirked then glanced to his right, "Well then, it is time for you both to do your tasks. I trust that you can handle it."

Materializing out of thin air were the Servants, Saber and Berserker of Black.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rider of Red was whistling a tune to himself as he waited for the approaching Servants of Black. He was a little skeptical of the plan but with his partner backing him up, he had no reason to fear, especially since he got a look at the Servants that engaged Berserker of Red. The Rider of Black's identity was revealed to him the moment Archer of Red had described her. Rose-colored hair, fierce demeanor, a crimson sword, and speed that reminded him of one of Mother Nature's destructive elements.

Snow released a humorless chuckle, "Well, Light… looks like we're enemies. I almost feel bad for you…" He said to himself before he felt the presence of two approaching Servants. Opening his eyes, he spots the Servants of Black: Saber and Berserker. "Well, they sent a Saber and a Berserker to fight me? I suppose I should be flattered, especially since I'm fighting one of the three Knight-class Servants." Berserker and Saber of Black summoned their swords, bringing them up in a defensive posture. "I'm from the Rider-class but… I don't think I'll need my mount to beat you both. I'll just use my own two fists." He said while cracking his knuckles.

Noctis scoffed before he threw his sword at Snow, who swiftly dodged the flying blade before his eyes widened in surprise when the Saber of Black suddenly teleported right at the sword, grabbing it by the hilt as he slashed down at the Red Servant. Thinking on instinct, Snow activated his ice-based l'Cie powers, forming a gauntlet of ice over his right arm that he used to stop the blade from hurting him. The two Servants briefly engaged in a small clash that had Noctis and Snow parry or block each other's blows.

'_This guy is good…'_ Both of them thought at the same time as they swung at each other once again, blade meeting fist as the impact sent both respective Servants away from each other. However, Snow wasn't given any chance to breathe as Berserker of Black advanced upon him with his massive blade in hand, which he swung down with a loud battle cry. The Rider of Red quickly engaged Steelguard by crossing his arms over his chest while a barrier-like shield appeared around his body. The moment that Jecht's sword made contact with the barrier, it pushed the former Ace back with a grunt.

Snow smirked at the Berserker's attempt before his ears caught on to an approaching set of footsteps. He quickly turned around at the last moment to bring up his hand as ice molded over his palm, which stopped Noctis's blow from reaching him. The Crown Prince of Lucis glared at the Sovereign, who smirked almost tauntingly at the young man.

"You're gonna have to do better than that, Saber of Black." The Rider of the Red Faction told his opponent before grabbing Noctis by his sword hand's wrist then threw him over to Berserker of Black. The King of Light briefly recovered in mid-air then warped to the ground next to his ally. "I've gotta say, I'm impressed so far. Granted, I wasn't using my mount so it wouldn't really make much difference but I have to give credit where credit is due. The Black Faction's got some impressive Servants."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere, Rider of Red." Noctis spat as he prepared to engage his foe once more.

"True, but distracting unsuspecting enemies is a good way to keep off-balanced." The moment Snow had said that a silver projectile shot past his head and struck Noctis right in the shoulder with enough force to trap him in the base of an oak tree.

The black-garbed prince released a grunt of pain while he mentally cursed himself for letting his guard down. Gladio would kill him if he found out about that. Still, he had kept his Phase ability up just to defend against any unsuspecting attacks. So _how_ could an arrow bypass his Phasing?

"Wow, guess bunny really did come through. Being bait was a bit of a long shot but it paid off in the end," Snow said as he stared with a hint of pride and satisfaction at the Black Faction's Saber being outsmarted. His eyes landed on Jecht, who looked ready for another fight. "Well, we can't really pass this chance to weaken the enemy now. Might as well get rid of the Black Faction's madman while I have the opportunity." His right hand shone with an icy aura before a construct of frozen liquid appeared in his hand. Said construct resembling a large icy battle-ax.

Jecht scoffed with a smirk, "You're welcome to try, you cocky punk!" He said with a scarlet aura surrounding his form. "I'll teach you to respect your elders, boy!"

The Rider of Red smirked and braced himself for what he thought to be the Berserker's Noble Phantasm until both Servants heard a grunt of effort from the pinned Saber of Black, who pushed himself off the tree, the arrow still inside his shoulder.

Noctis brought up his Engine Blade, although he looked like he was struggling to resist such an action, and a blue aura began to surround the young Crown Prince.

Snow smirked at the sight, "So, you're unleashing your Noble Phantasm, huh? Well, come on then! I welcome the challenge!" He taunted.

Unfortunately, Saber of Black was not performing his Noble Phantasm of his own free will… but by his self-centered Master, Gordus. The portly man, after watching the fight, decided that he couldn't allow his Servant to further embarrass him or take priority over a simple fight like it was a game and used his Command Seals to order the King of Light to unleash his Noble Phantasm.

Noctis tried with all his might to resist the command but even with his Magic Resistance skill, it did little to stop his arms from raising his current weapon in the air as the blue aura began to surround the blade like a beacon of light. His teeth gritted so tight that they threatened to crack from the pressure yet his lips began to move without his commands. **"Armi-"** He grunted out before, suddenly, the light was canceled, allowing the Saber of Black to drop to his knees after the previous order was broken by a new one. The action alone surprised and confused Rider of Red. Without a moment to question his foe on why he stopped, Saber of Black vanished into motes of blue light, presumably entering his astral form.

Snow sighed, "Well, that was disappointing. I was all set to see what the kid's Noble Phantasm could do." He said while shouldering his ice battleax before his gaze returned to Berserker of Black, who looked ready for another brawl.

"_Berserker, wait!"_ The mental voice of Jecht's Master ordered, stopping the Berserker from engaging in battle with the blonde man. _"Vincent will deal with that guy. _You_ take care of the Archer in the rear."_

Jecht released a grunt of annoyance about his fight being interrupted but he could understand the values in dealing with an opponent's long-range specialist first in a war.

"Now where were we-" Snow prepared to attack the Servant of Black before a speeding projectile struck him in the collar, earning a grunt of pain from the l'Cie of Ice. "What!?" He exclaimed with a pained grimace before his battle-hardened instincts warned him of immediate danger.

_***BANG* *BANG* *BANG***_

Several gunshots rang out in the night air as the bullets targeted Rider of Red, forcing the blonde man to dodge them with a few steps. However, his distraction was all Berserker of Black needed to speed past him and make his way towards Archer of Red with a bloodthirsty grin on his face.

From atop of Millennia Citadel, Vincent, wielding his sniper rifle, with his eyes glowing a luminous red, took aim at both Servants of Red to further assist his ally in the plan.

Meanwhile, Archer of Red, or Fran, who had been hiding in the treelines, noticed the approaching Ace of Zanarkand. She clicked her tongue in annoyance as she brought up her bow, "Berserker of Black, I will make you regret your decision to face me… IN BLOOD!" She exclaimed, releasing a flaming arrow at the burly man. However, before the projectile could strike Jecht between his eyes, a bullet cuts in, destroying the arrow and allowing Berserker of Black to continue his rampage towards Fran, who looked shocked at first before she released who had interfered in her kill. "So their Archer intervened, huh? In that case…" She brought up her bow once more, this time with several arrows pulled back, and fired right at the approaching Servant.

Several of the arrows miss their mark but two manage to hit Jecht. One in the right leg and another in the left shoulder. Fortunately, Jecht's passive Madness Enhancement forced the pain away and allowed him to continue his reckless charge at the enemy.

Fran grimaced as she realized that nothing would stop the Servant at the moment unless she utilized her Noble Phantasm. "Guess I better retreat then," She said to herself before she leaped from her former sniping position, right as Jecht slammed into the tree with a battle cry.

Standing back up, Jecht noticed that his target had fled and proceeded to dust himself off, "Fucking coward." He cursed in annoyance.

Back with Snow, the Rider-class Servant used both his battleax as well as his Sentinel abilities to either block or tank the bullets from the Black Faction's Archer. He had already sensed that Fran had left the battlefield so now seemed like a perfect opportunity to leave as well. He smirked as he called out to his faraway foe, "Well, Archer of Black, you've certainly got my attention now," He inclined his head lazily to the left as another bullet slipstreamed past it. "It's not every day that somebody can keep up or even wear down my endurance! I'll be sure to test your mettle once we meet face-to-face!" His l'Cie brand glowed icy blue before a crystal appeared that he crushed in his hand, summoning a futuristic motorcycle that seemed to be composed of… two women? The Servant of Red quickly boarded his mount, revving the engine before he took off with a loud, "WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Once the Red Servant had left the vicinity, Vincent lowered his sniper rifle while his Master looked at him with concern, "Seems my opponent for the War has been chosen." He said loudly enough to himself and to the crippled girl.

"Who is it?" Fiore wondered.

"The Rider of Red," Vincent answered. "He appears to be a strong opponent indeed."

His young Master smiled at him, "But I know that you're stronger."

The Archer of Black nodded in agreement with Fiore, "I do not doubt that, Master. For I have you by my side to battle against Rider of Red." He said with a thin smile before he continued to watch the forest with his hawk-like gaze, unaware that his Master sported flushed pink cheeks.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rider of Black arrived back in Vincent's room, finding the homunculus boy trying to steady himself on his own two feet.

"Ah, Rider?" The boy gasped in surprise which nearly sent him tumbling down to the floor if not for Lightning's intervention in catching him.

"It's time to leave." She told her charge, who looked up at the rose-haired woman in confusion.

"And go where?" The homunculus asked, unsure if he even deserved to leave while his kin remained shackled by the grip of Yggdmillennia.

This time, Lightning gave the boy a smile, "Somewhere that will keep you safe." She told him, placing a hand on his head. "A place where you can live your life however you wish."

The nameless homunculus looked into the Servant's eyes and felt his heart burst with hidden courage. The way she spoke with sheer confidence and conviction made it seem as if his current lifespan and his situation appeared little to him. In fact, there was something he felt when he stared into the Rider of Black's pupils...

It was a word that had been engraved into his mind since his 'birth'.

A word that escaped his lips ever since he escaped from that accursed vat.

A word that he scarcely could believe...

...that word was called Hope.

* * *

**[Yggdmillennia Forest Edge]**

* * *

Standing outside of the boundaries of the Black Faction's territory were the Servants Ruler and her bodyguard, Saver.

The two had recently left the church they had been residing in after a full day of chores and taking care of any problems that the Sister needed to have fixed. During that time, Ruler had made her intentions to approach the Black Faction's territory to witness the inevitable fighting between the Red Faction and Yggdmillennia quite clear to the Warrior of Light. She also believed that by meeting with a Red Faction Master, she could further interrogate them as to _why_ she had been targeted for assassination.

Saver had no objections to such a plan. In fact, he agreed with Jeanne that supervising the battle between Red and Black Servants would make his job all the easier, especially considering his charge had an attempt on her life by one of the Red Faction's warriors.

So here they stood, decked out in full combat gear. Though Jeanne knew her battle attire from heart, she had yet to understand the full specifications as to how her bodyguard was able to change his appearance so suddenly.

Sneaking a quick glance, she took in Saver's newly-garbed figure. From head-to-toe, he was clad in black armor that was far too demonic to belong to a Heroic Spirit of the mythical Saver-class, unless he was a Tragic Hero, which made some form of sense to Jeanne. Behind the armor, she could make out a black-grey trench coat that fell all the way down to his shins with an opening left for his legs to allow freedom of movement. On his back was a massive two-handed black greatsword that was so impossibly thick, it looked more like a chunk of metal with a strange dark red crest at the fuller of the blade.

Overall, the warrior looked like some sort of dark knight from a fairy tale.

"This is it. Are you prepared, Saver?" Ruler asked her companion.

"Yes, let us-" The crimson-eyed man suddenly released a grunt as he held his head in visible pain. Jeanne was by his side in an instant to see if he was okay, unaware that the Warrior of Light's Echo skill had activated…

_Images came to the forefront of his mind… two Servants of Black fighting each other… a boy fleeing for his life… a rotund man with a steel fist… the Black Faction gathered…_

Sorom released a brief gasp as the images faded and the world around him resumed. When his senses came back, he found himself looking into the deep pools of amethyst that belonged to the girl he was ordered to protect.

"Saver, what's wrong? What happened to you?" Ruler asked out of concern.

"It's nothing. It happens a few times. Regardless, we must make haste. I fear blood will be spilled this night…" A grimace appeared on the warrior's face. "Innocent blood…"

"Very well, let's go!" The Maid of Orleans declared as she took off into the forest with Saver following right behind. The two were unaware of the fact that they were being watched by a bird familiar with evil-looking purple eyes.

* * *

**A/N: Oh my God! I finished the chapter! And in 2020 too!**

**First off, I want to apologize for taking so long in updating but I was busy with real-life stuff as I'm sure my fellow writers and authors can attest to. Working most of the time has left me with little opportunity to write my other stories. I'm doing all I can to get them uploaded but at my current pace, you might not see any updates for a while.**

**And another thing, to all those who have been using the review box in Remnant's Climax Heroes to start up arguments or anything like that? That ends now! Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and how they feel about the story. It doesn't give you the right to suddenly just attack them when they were just pointing out what they liked or didn't like in the story. Well, you can do it to flamers and trolls, I don't give a rat's ass about them. But seriously, if a review isn't a trolling comment or anything like that? Don't start shit with the reviewer because that's unnecessary and disgraceful. Be the bigger man or woman and don't be a troll.**

**In any case, a few readers were probably expecting Berserker of Red to be changing sides now. Well, I say, FUCK THAT! If I had done that originally, it would've thrown out a perfectly good villain for the story! Especially considering its who Saver and Caster of Black hate the most. Oh, and to all those who guessed the name of Berserker of Red before this? You all get a cookie and the chance to petition the next Fate/Dissidia crossover plan.**

**Now, there was a lot of action and a little less conversation in this. I hope I did the characters justice because I went off on what I looked upon the wiki and what I remember from the video games.**

**And in case you're wondering what Saver is wearing, it is the Bale Armor Set for the Dark Knight class without the helmet. You know, the gear that the Warrior of Light wears in the Shadowbringer trailer? Speaking of which, that's also the name of the weapon. I am not kidding, the sword is, **_**literally**_**, called Shadowbringer. I'm still wondering how I can implement that weapon as a Noble Phantasm since I'm putting up my version of the Warrior of Light's parameters up on here. Keep in mind, this is how I envisioned any Warrior of Light having for stat parameters so if you're making a Fate/stay night crossover with FFXIV then take this as an example. Reminder: these stats are based on **_**my**_** avatar. Every Warrior of Light from FFXIV is different from the last.**

**Review and comment on this chapter. Love it, hate it, but just know that you've read it! ;)**

**Peace out, everyone!**

* * *

**Name:** Sorom Jaeger (Warrior of Light)

**Servant Class:** Saver

**Alternate Classes:** Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Berserker, and Assassin

**Gender:** Male

**Alignment:** Chaotic Neutral

_**Class Stats-**_

**Strength:** _E~EX (Varies based on Soul Crystal)_

**Endurance:** _E~EX (Varies based on Soul Crystal)_

**Agility:** _E~EX (Varies based on Soul Crystal)_

**Mana:** _E~C (Varies based on Soul Crystal)_

**Luck:** _E~EX (Varies based on Soul Crystal)_

**NP:** _?_

_**Class Skills-**_

**Magic Resistance:** _D~B_ _(Varies based on Soul Crystal)_

A Skill that grants protection against magical effects. Varying uses of his Soul Crystals allows the Warrior of Light to resist, endure, or even cancel high-level magic spells, except magic used by Divine Beings.

**Riding: **_A_

A Skill that allows the Servant to ride vehicles or animals. Sorom has ridden many vehicles and animals during his adventures. He can also ride some Phantasmal Beasts as his mounts.

**Counter Hero:** _A+_

A Skill that reduces the parameters of the statistics of 'heroes' that the Servant faces in combat. In Saver's case, he can reduce the parameters of his opponents by two or three ranks depending on their Luck. Anti-heroes only have their parameters reduced by one rank.

_**Personal Skills-**_

**Battle Continuation:** _B+_

A Skill that allows for the continuation of combat after sustaining mortal wounds. It will also reduce the mortality rate from injury. In Saver's case, he had sustained wounds and injuries from countless battles against men and monsters. It also adds a boost to his Endurance due to his conflict against Primals.

**God Slayer:** _A_

A rare Skill given to those that have slain immortals or God-like beings. The Warrior of Light slew many incarnations of immortals and gods, even world-ending monsters. This Skill lowers the parameters of Servants with Divinity along with Phantasmal Beasts.

**Hydaelan's Blessing:** _EX_

A passive Skill granted to those blessed by the Mothercrystal, Hydaelan. Despite being a Primal, Hydaelan favors the Warrior of Light and blessed him with many useful powers and abilities. Several of which act as hidden Skills or Noble Phantasms that no Master or Servant will be able to discern.

**Echo:** ?

Saver can use this Skill to see certain memories of individuals he comes across. For Servants, he can instantly know all their deeds, abilities, and histories, including their True Names. This works in tandem with **[Hydaelan's Blessing]** since it is one of the gifts the Primal of Light bestowed upon her Children.

_**Noble Phantasm-**_

**[Soul Crystal]**_** "To Change One's Destiny"**_

Rank: _?_

Classification: Anti-Unit (Self)

Description: As he was born in the Realm of Eorzea, Sorom can change his current Class via the Soul Crystals, which affects both his Class and his Stats. He can only utilize one Soul Crystal at a time as well as only the Soul Crystals that he attained in his life. Each specific Soul Crystal grants Sorom access to weapons and armor suitable for that Class/Job. For instance, by becoming a Bard, his current Class is changed to Archer. Or by becoming a Ninja, his Class is changed to Assassin. These Soul Crystals also allow Saver to utilize any Noble Phantasm that he acquired during his adventures for that specific Class.

**[Dimensional Satchel] **_**"Bottomless Inventory"**_

Rank: _C_

Classification: Storage

Description: A magic satchel that all Adventurers of Eorzea carry on their person at all times. This artifact is able to store various tools and objects within such as weapons, armor, potions, and even food. The Warrior of Light has utilized this useful tool in his adventures whenever he had the time to store anything of value. However, this can only be activated outside of combat.

**[Nova Fabula Crystallis] **_**"Tales of Fantasy"**_

Rank: _Unspecified_

Classification: Undetermined

Description: Information currently unavailable.


	4. The Will to Live

**What's up, everyone! This is GKC here bringing you the next chapter to Dissidia/Apocrypha.**

**Now for the disclaimer: I do not own, except my OC, the Fate series or the Final Fantasy series. All rights belong to their respective owners.**

**Now let's get this party started… BEGIN!**

* * *

**Dissidia/Apocrypha**

* * *

**Chapter 3:** The Will to Live

* * *

**[Millennium Forest]**

* * *

After leaving Millennia Castle with no sign of pursuit from the homunculi, Rider of Black and the homunculus boy had reached deep enough into the woods that they could rest for a few minutes. Well, more the boy than Lightning since she hardly lost any energy.

"We should be fine here for a little bit," Lightning said before she glanced at her charge, noticing how he panted heavily with each intake of breath that entered his lunges. "Of course, you're still not used to running for so long."

"Is it…" The boy spoke, earning a look from the rosette. "Is it really okay for me to leave?"

"Do you want to go back?"

The homunculus pursed his lips into a grimace as his mind drifted back to that horrible chamber of vats that held the rest of his brethren like prisoners. As much as he wanted to go back and help them, he feared for his life, however short it might be.

"Would there… be any point in me living?" The boy asked.

"Of course there is!" Lightning suddenly shouted, surprising and shocking the boy. "There is always a point for living, no matter how short or long your lifespan maybe!" She placed her hands on the homunculus's shoulders, who did nothing but stare into the crystal blue eyes of the Servant. "Every road in life begins with a single step… and you took that step. By doing so, you're giving yourself the chance to grow and experience the joys and hardships that come with living."

"But-"

"Your life is yours to do with however you please. That's why you have to continue living… in order to see that life through to the end." Rider of Black froze when she felt the presence of several magical constructs forming behind her. Looking back, she noticed that they were the Black Faction's golems, no doubt rising to stop them. "Bothersome pests." She cursed, summoning her sword and shield before she went on the assault.

The homunculus boy watched with abstract awe. He had never seen a Heroic Spirit fight before but the mere sight of the Rider fighting the golems was enough to surprise him. Scarlet red orbs watched each movement from the pink-haired woman as she slashed her sword, avoided clubs and arrows, and sent magical energy right back at them. To Lightning, it was little more than low-level sparring but to the homunculus, it was like the Servant was dancing. Not a single ounce of energy was wasted nor were her strikes.

It made the boy all the more apprehensive about how powerful a Heroic Spirit truly is…

Meanwhile, on the other side of the forest, the Heroic Spirits Ruler and Saver were passing by the remains of fallen golems that had been slain by Berserker of Red.

"Three Servants of the Red Faction were here," Ruler said to her companion. "But they haven't received orders from their Masters."

"It would not be uncommon for Servants to go off on their own to seek out their enemies. The Red Faction probably sought to test the strength of the Black Faction's Servants." Saver remarked. "Tis only a guess, but if the Red Faction were serious in a fight then they would've brought _all_ of their Servants."

"True enough, but we can't-" Ruler gasped when her skill, **[Revelation]**, decided to show her a premonition of the future. She could see two Servants of Black fighting each other. One of them looked to be Saber of Black, who was engaged in a sword duel with a rose-haired woman. "A fight within the same Faction?"

Saver heard this and was confused. Shouldn't the Servants of the same Faction be allies?

Back with Rider of Black, the Heroic Spirit had effortlessly defeated all of the golems while her charge had collapsed on his knees, whether from exhaustion or from how incredible she was, she didn't know nor did it matter.

"We need to keep moving." She told the boy. "The rest of the Masters are onto us now. We can't-" Lightning's eyes widened when she felt the presence of a Servant right behind her. Looking back, icy blue eyes gazed into the ocean blue of Saber of Black, who had his Engine Blade in his right hand while a slightly noticeable expression of guilt was present on his face. "Saber?"

"I found you!" Came the half-exhausted breathing of Saber of Black's Master, Gordes, who looked absolutely livid at the moment. "Dammit! How dare they make me run such a stupid errand!"

Lightning cursed as she brought up Crimson Lotus in a defensive position as the boy behind her finally regained enough strength to stand, "You need to run. Right now." She whispered to him.

"Saber, hold Rider down!" Gordes ordered.

Noctis grimaced before he brought up his sword and prepared to attack, "Sorry, Rider…" He muttered to himself.

The homunculus boy stood there in sheer, absolute terror as he stared at the opposing Master and his Servant. Noticing this, Lightning shouted at him, "What the hell are you doing!? Get out of here NOW!"

Before the boy could comprehend what his guardian meant, Saber of Black immediately went on the offensive when he warped right in front of Rider and clashed his sword against her own blade. The two Servants pushed with all their strength as sparks flew from the grinding metal of their weapons.

"Rider!" The boy cried out.

"I said, run!" Lightning said through gritted teeth. "You want to live, right? So get out of here, NOW!"

Overcome by fear and guilt, the homunculus fled for his life as the Servant he befriended risked her own to defend him. Unfortunately, Gordes noticed the defect's departure and decided to chase after him.

"Dammit, are you kidding me?!" The portly man complained as he ran after the boy.

With the boy out of the way, Lightning focused her attention back on her opponent, "Saber… get out of my way!" She demanded.

"I can't do that, Rider. Believe me, I don't want to do this but…" Noctis frowned as he pushed his fellow Servant back. "If I don't do this willingly then my Master will use a Command Seal to do it. And we all know that even a Saber could never resist the power of an Absolute Order."

The Rider of Black grimaced but she couldn't help but pity the Saber-class Heroic Spirit for having such a temperamental and foolish Master. However, she wasn't one to talk since her own Master was a sadist and a sociopath.

"So Rider… just stand down and let us take that homunculus back to the castle." Saber of Black said as he prepared to attack his opponent.

"No! I won't do that!" Lightning declared. "Even if it costs me my life… I _will_ save that child!"

"Rider, you know that even if he were to escape, he'd-" Noctis tried to explain but was cut off.

"I already know!" The rosette shouted before pausing, then lowering her sword. "I already know… he only has a short lifespan. But…" She looked at Noctis with a glare. "That doesn't mean that his life isn't any more important than my own! Even if he were to live for a month, a few weeks, or even a few minutes! I won't stop! Not until he's lived the life that he seeks!"

Noctis's eyes widened in awe when he heard the Rider of Black's passionate speech and realized that he was just like that boy. Following a path that had been set for him before his birth, a path that ultimately led to his demise. However, throughout that journey, he had lived. He lived as a normal man on the road with his brothers in all but blood and met many wonderful people who touched his heart. It was why he accepted his role as the Crowned King of Light… so that he could stop the darkness and grant others the chance to live as he had so long ago.

The Saber of Black released a brief chuckle before he stepped away from Lightning, who gave him an inquisitive stare. "Thanks for reminding me, Rider."

"Remind you? Of what?" She asked.

"Let's just say… I remembered something from my previous life." Noctis answered as he sent his sword away. "Come on, the kid and my Master couldn't have gotten very far."

* * *

LINE BREAK

* * *

While the two Servants of Black were about to track down the homunculus boy, Ruler and Saver were following the exposure of prana in the air towards the location of what they believe to be a fight between the same Faction.

"Something is wrong with this Holy Grail War," Ruler said aloud. "It's fundamentally different then what it should be."

"If you were expecting it to be pretty then your outlook on war is misguided." Saver stated. "There's no right way for a war to be conducted, especially when mages are involved."

Ruler grimaced at her bodyguard's words but didn't argue. After all, magus were abhorrent to morality and preferred to conduct themselves through advancement in magic and study rather than being classified as mundane humans.

Saver glanced back at his ward, figuring that she was contemplating on what he said. Regardless of what he felt, the Moonlit World was cruel and misguided. There are no innocent beings when it comes to such a vast different plane of human existence.

The Counter Force as well as Gaea, the Will of the Earth, had made it vastly clear that they were not without their own fury. Saver could attest to such feelings as he had once faced down beings that threatened the safety and sanctity of all he held dear. But he did not become the Warrior of Light by simply standing aside while those who believed themselves just tore down the foundations of man. No, he fought and endured torment, betrayal, and pain the likes of which no man should ever suffer… and he won.

The young warrior of Eorzea swiftly gathered his steel for the coming conflict that would soon happen. The Servants of the Red Faction had tried to slay his charge, who was to say that the Black Faction would be any better?

* * *

LINE BREAK

* * *

After Noctis and Lightning came to an agreement to rescue the homunculus child to whisk him away from the horrors of the Holy Grail War, they pursued the Saber of Black's portly Master in order to stop him from taking the boy back to the castle.

Unfortunately, they arrived too late to help it would seem. The two Servants came across Gordes, who was breathing heavily, while the homunculus boy laid against the base of the tree, unmoving with a clear trickle of blood flowing down his lips.

Concerned for the boy she had promised to protect, Lightning ran ahead to his side to attend to him. She assessed the damage and it looked like he was having trouble breathing. "Hey, stay with me! We're going to get you out of here, okay?" She assured the boy.

Noctis approached his Master, who seemed to have felt his Servant's presence. The portly man tried to bring up a libel defense for his actions. "Had I not used my Altered Arm then he would've killed me for sure!" He argued. "I'm not at fault here!"

The Saber of Black closed his eyes, remembering all of the faces he met on his journey of kingship and the decisions he had to make in order to become what he was till the end. His decision clear, the Crowned King of Light opened his eyes and looked at his Master, "Hey, old man. I have a favor to ask."

"Huh?"

"Can you save the kid?" Noctis asked.

Gordes looked ready to pop a gasket, "What the hell are you talking about, Saber?! I didn't ask for your opinion, you insolent Servant! The only thing you need to do is shut up and listen to my-" He paused in his rant when Saber of Black stepped forward, nearly towering over the pudgy Master as he leveled a deathly glare upon him with his dark blue eyes.

"Is that a 'no' then?" He inquired with barely hidden annoyance.

"I told you to shut-ACK!" Gordes gagged when he was struck in the stomach… by his own Servant. Before the man knew it, he fell unconscious as Noctis caught and lowered him to the ground.

Lightning gasped in surprise when she noticed her fellow Servant's action, "What are you-"

"What's the damage look like?" Saber of Black asked.

Realizing that her comrade could potentially save the boy, she gave him the rundown of his ailments. "From what I've been able to tell, his entire rib cage has been broken and some shards of bone have punctured his lungs and grazed his heart. He needs immediate medical attention or he's going to die." Lightning looked down in distress, "I've tried healing spells but they're only stemming his wounds."

Noctis grimaced, "I see. None of the healing solvents I have on hand can fix this kind of affliction… unless…" He paused with realization.

The Rider of Black noticed his hesitation. "Unless what?"

"Unless we implant a Spiritual Core within his body," He answered.

"Are you insane!? Implanting a Spiritual Core inside of a human could tear their entire body to shreds!" Lightning shouted.

"True, a _normal_ human… but the kid's a homunculus. The perfect existence. He can bear the power." Noctis stated. "And as penance, I'll offer my own Spiritual Core in order to save his life."

"But if you do that then-"

"Yeah, I know. I'll die and my body will return to the Throne of Heroes." Noctis interjected before sighing, "Man, of all the rotten luck… I hardly got a chance to even do much in this world."

"Hold yourself, ser," A voice announced, surprising the two Black Servants as they looked to the source of the voice before finding Ruler and Saver, who had made the announcement.

"Ruler? And…" Noctis narrowed his eyes at the black-armored Servant and prepared for a fight before Ruler stopped him.

"Saber of Black, please stop. Saver is not your enemy. He is my guardian." Jeanne stated.

"Saver?" Lightning repeated.

Saver ignored their looks of confusion and instead focused on the dying boy, "This boy… he is not fully human." He stated.

"He is a homunculus," Ruler answered as she looked at the child with pity. "It appears that he is slowly dying from internal injuries."

"I see…" The Warrior of Light replied as he took a few steps towards the boy but Noctis stood in his way while Lightning covered the homunculus with her own body. "Please step aside."

"What are you going to do?" The King of Light questioned.

Saver stared deeply into Noctis's eyes. Blue orbs glaring defiantly at crimson red. The dark knight reached into his pouch… and produced a bewildering object.

Noctis and Lightning stared at it in abject disgust while Ruler was completely and utterly surprised. For the Warrior of Light held in his palm was an object that all manner of magi would seek for themselves till their dying days...

...the eye of a dragon.

"Where… did you get that?" Ruler cautiously asked.

Saver glanced back at his ward and answered, "From a dragon that caused untold suffering and chaos in another land. After wounding the beast, I relinquished it from his skull. This eye contains enough mana to fuel many Servants for several Holy Grail Wars. However, by combining the aetherial magicks within, I should be able to heal the boy."

"Combine it with what?" Noctis inquired.

"With this," Saver reached another hand into his pouch and removed the plume of a feather. However, instead of a normal feather, this one glowed with an ethereal light that resembled flames which matched its orange-red color scheme.

"A phoenix down?!" The two Servants of Black exclaimed together in unison.

Ruler, however, could hardly contain her shock. Saver held two objects that were derived from some of the most powerful Phantasmal Beasts known throughout the World. Dragons and Phoenixes hadn't been seen since the Age of Man began and all Phantasmal Beasts fled to the Reverse Side of the World. To even witness such miracles in the hands of a mere man was enough for her to question as to how he acquired them… or if he possessed any more materials from Phantasmal creatures.

Saver closed his eyes, holding the Dragon Eye and the Phoenix Feather in both hands, "Mother Hydaelyn… grant me the power to combine the essence of these two creatures in my palms so that I may save the life of this child." He spoke while the Servants watched in abstract silence. A few seconds passed then a minute and now two… before an aura of white light surrounded the knight, surging from the center of his heart and flowing directly into the two objects he held in his hands. The eye and the feather shimmered with the same light for a few seconds before they came together in a collision of ethereal energy. Once the light began to diminish, the Servants that stood around the Warrior of Light stared at the object that now floated between his palms with gobsmacked awe.

"What is that?" Lightning questioned.

Saver glanced at those around him and answered, "This…" He brought up the object in question as it shimmered with an almost holy presence. "...is a heart of light."

"A heart of light?" Ruler repeated.

"It is not an easy thing to create. I, myself, have no talent to craft such a magical item so I pleaded with the Mother Crystal from my homeland to grant me the necessary aether to construct such an item. With this… I will be able to save the boy." Saver explained. "I know not the effects which may inflict upon him but I believe that this shall grant him a new life."

The hero approached the half-conscious homunculus with the heart in hand then knelt before him and placed the object in his hand onto the boy's chest. At first, nothing happened… then the heart of light began to glow as it slowly melted within the child's chest until it vanished within his body.

A few seconds passed before the boy suddenly gasped with a new breath. This action brought great relief to the Servants of Black as well as Ruler.

"He's alive…" Ruler said with a smile as her gaze landed on Saver's back. "You really are a savior."

"It's in the title, after all." Saver jested with a small grin as he stood up.

"Why… would you save his life?" Rider of Black inquired.

The Warrior of Light closed his eyes in thought before opening them a second later, "It is because he needed help."

"That's it?" Saber of Black raised a brow in confusion.

"Did you expect me to do it for a favor? That's not the kind of man I am." Saver said as he turned on his heel to leave… before pausing in his step. "Something is wrong."

"Eh?" Ruler blinked at her guardian's sudden posture before the homunculus boy released a pained groan, which attracted the attention of the four Servants. The child's Magic Circuits flared a bright neon green as they spread throughout his body like veins in his bloodstream. The Heroic Spirits watched with abstract shock as the child suddenly grew… into a young man.

"That's… impossible." Saver said under his breath.

"What happened to him!? Why does he look like this?" Lightning demanded.

"Calm yourself," Saver told the rosette as he knelt before the boy to examine him. "It must've been the heart of light. The aether within it must've overflowed his Magic Circuits, expanding and morphing their nature until his body became a suitable vessel to withstand its full power."

"And what exactly does that mean?" Noctis questioned.

"Simply put, the boy has now acquired a vessel beyond a mere human's limitations."

The homunculus suddenly released a gasp as he shot awake. He looked at his hand and had a bewildered expression on his face. It was like the change of his body was unreal to him.

Ruler decided to alleviate the boy's fears and placed her hands over his own, "Servant Ruler…" She introduced, causing the homunculus to look at her in surprise. "My True Name is Jeanne d'Arc."

The young man gave the new arrival a suspicious yet frightened look. Lightning placed a hand on his shoulder, surprising him.

"I'm thankful that you're okay." She said with a smile.

"I want to examine him. Please step aside." Ruler asked the Rider of Black. "I promise no harm will be brought."

Lightning gave the blonde a small glare before she reluctantly stepped aside, allowing the Maid of Orleans to inspect the homunculus.

Jeanne placed her hand over the area where her guardian placed the catalyst inside and focused her energy on it. A small gasp left her lips when she felt this overwhelming purity that reminded her of the Lord's messengers.

Purity defined by light.

Whatever Saver had created gave this boy access to a whole new set of Magic Circuits. Not only did it seem that his lifespan had been prolonged but his body seemed able to contend with low-level Heroic Spirits.

No longer would his life be limited, rather his lifespan was now similar to the average human. Perhaps longer due to the origin of the catalyst within his body.

The blonde Servant moved her hand away and stood on her feet. "I'm surprised that you were able to adapt to your new organ so well."

"Organ?" The boy repeated in confusion.

"Your heart was damaged," Saber of Black clarified. "This guy saved your life." He gestured to the Warrior of Light.

"You… saved me?"

"That's correct." The Primal Slayer confirmed with a curt nod. The boy rested his hand over the location of the new organ. A selfless act that was given to him as a gift by a hero that did not know him.

"Why?" He asked rather timidly.

"You were dying and I wanted to save you. So I did it." The Servant replied albeit neutrally.

"But-" The homunculus tried to question before Rider of Black placed a hand on his head.

"Don't worry about it so much. As long as you're alive then that's-" Lightning froze, her kind smile dropped, replaced by cold indifference. "Saber…"

"I know…" Noctis glanced back along with the other Servants. "The rest of the Faction is here."

The remaining six Masters along with their own Heroic Spirits stared at the gathering with neutral expressions. However, Darnic seemed quite displeased. "Saber, Rider, explain to me what happened and who those other two Servants are with you." The Yggdmillennia patriarch ordered.

The two Servants of Black tried to come up with a viable excuse but Jeanne decided to answer for them, "I am Ruler and I am the one who is overseeing this Great Holy Grail War."

Darnic glanced at the Warrior of Light, who gave the Master of Lancer a firm glare. "And you are?"

Sorom was silent for a few seconds before he answered, "Saver."

"Saver? I've never heard of that Class before." Fiore said in slight surprise.

"And to think that I would see you again as well, my old comrade." Y'shtola said with a smile.

Saver looked at the Caster of Black in surprise, "It can't be… Y'shtola? To think that you would be summoned to this Grail War as well. Then again…" He smiled genuinely at the Miqo'te. "I'm not opposed to seeing you again."

"The feeling is mutual, Warrior of Light." The Caster of Black smiled fondly at her friend.

Darnic noted the interaction between the two Servants as well as the tenderness and joy that radiated in their eyes. If he was not mistaken, these two knew each other in their previous lives. He was interested as to how this Saver-class Servant earned a title like Warrior of Light but that still did not reveal his True Name if he were to fight them here and now.

"Master, I can sense a low-level prana signature from the homunculus…" Lancer of Black informed Darnic. "If I'm not mistaken, it is similar to a Servant."

"Well now…" Darnic leveled his eyes upon the homunculus boy, who felt his heart stop in sheer terror when he stared into those cold, unflinching eyes. "Perhaps this night can be recovered after all."

In the blink of an eye, Saber and Rider stood protectively in front of the boy, momentarily surprising the Masters while the other Servants watched with neutral gazes.

"Move aside," Darnic ordered but the two Servants remained adamant in their decision.

"The kid has had enough. You can't force him into the Grail War." Saber of Black retorted.

"Unfortunately, Saber, he _is_ a homunculus created by Yggdmillennia. In essence, he has no actual human life." Caster of Black said with sympathy.

"Wrong," Saver interjected as he stood at the forefront of the two Black Servants that guarded the homunculus. "He now possesses a heart of light. Thus, he is no longer limited to the lifespan of a mere homunculus. So long as his wish is for freedom, I will not allow any to lay a finger on them." His right hand, clad in a black gauntlet, grasped the handle of the massive blade on his back as he pulled it out and wielded it with both hands. His crimson eyes took a noticeable sharper gleam as he glared particularly at Darnic. "If any wish to challenge that claim… you're welcome to come at me."

Some of the more aggressive Servants of Black like Berserker and Lancer readied their weapons for an inevitable brawl but Darnic held them back. "Saver, be mindful of what you do next. You stand before the Servants of the Black Faction."

"Even if there were double the amount, I will not move." Saver spat with a cold, sharpened glare.

Darnic returned the glare, finding this unknown Heroic Spirit to be an annoyance. Caules leaned over to his sister's Servant and whispered, "Hey, Archer. What are our chances if we all just attack Saver and Ruler together?"

"Very slim." Archer of Black stated. "Ruler possesses an ability similar to your Command Seals that she can use to control us. However, the most dangerous and unknown factor would have to be Saver. None of us know his true strength, save possibly Caster."

Ruler stood up from her position beside the homunculus and proceeded to stand beside her guardian, "The boy will _not_ be forced into this conflict. I hope you understand that, Master of Lancer."

"That homunculus was already part of this conflict when we created him. He is an asset designed only to fight for Yggdmillennia." Darnic countered.

"Regardless, I will not allow you to take him." The Maid of Orleans said harshly.

The patriarch of Yggdmillennia bit back a curse before he calmed himself, seeing as how this situation was going nowhere. His cold gaze landed on Saber and Rider, the two Servants having remained quiet throughout the heated argument. "Saber, Rider, what you two have done could be considered an act of treason. Do you regret your actions?"

"Not a chance." Saber of Black spat.

"I don't regret a single thing. I helped him because I wanted to and not for some self-prestigious prick." Rider of Black stated. Darnic knew the jab was more to the angry Celenike beside him than at him and the man could almost picture the riding crop the deranged woman carried in her bloody grasp being twisted beyond recognition.

"Saber, Rider," Lancer spoke up, "While I admire your conviction, your actions will still warrant punishment."

"Fine by me." Saber said with a shrug. Lightning nodded in acceptance.

Caster of Black approached her fellow Servants, giving them sympathetic grins before she casted a binding spell that chained Saber and Rider's arms together.

"Rider!" The boy called.

"Stay where you are, boy." Saver ordered, stopping the homunculus from making any rash moves. "You can no longer interfere. Saber and Rider's fate is entirely on the decision of the Masters of Black."

The boy wanted to argue but a soft look from Rider stopped him, "It's alright. I've done what I can… the rest is up to you."

Darnic closed his eyes before turning on his heel to leave, "We're done here. Berserker, retrieve Gordus. We will return to the castle and prepare for the rest of the Grail War." The Berserker of Black obeyed the order, carrying the pudgy Master of Saber with one hand while shouldering his sword with the other. The rest of the Masters and Servants of Black began to leave along with Saber and Rider.

Caster lingered further as she looked back at Saver with a smile, "It is good to see you again, my friend. Until we meet again."

Saver, after sheathing his large sword, returned the gesture with a grin and a nod. "Likewise, Y'shtola."

The Caster of Black nodded in return and followed after her comrades, leaving only the two Heroic Spirits and the homunculus boy.

With the threat passed, Saver's black armor vanished, returning him his casual garb, save for the golden sheathed longsword he carried on his person. Ruler approached the boy and offered him her hand, "Come, let us take our leave of these woods."

The homunculus stared up at her in confusion, "Huh?"

"There is a hamlet nearby that my friend and I passed by some time ago. We can take you there until you're ready to leave on your own."

"But… where will I go from there?" The boy asked.

Saver approached the duo, hand resting on the hilt of the sword. "That's something only _you_ can find out. Adventure has a way of guiding many hearts on the road of self-discovery."

The boy pondered the Warrior of Light's words for a minute… then reached out and took Ruler's hand.

* * *

LINE BREAK

* * *

Within the church that served as the Red Faction's base of operations, Shirou Kotomine was having a small meeting with the Servants that had just returned from their skirmish with the Black Faction.

"So, what can you tell me of the enemy Servants?" The priest asked softly as Cecil stood stoutly like a sentinel.

A brief hint of movement and an astralization was all Shirou needed as Berserker, Rider, and Archer appeared out of thin air.

"Well, my opponents were pretty interesting." Snow comments with his hands lazily resting behind his head. "That Saber of Black definitely has an interesting ability to wrap around just like Lancer said. Their Berserker was also pretty sane when I fought him." He rolled his neck to relieve some form of tension. "Damn dude had a wicked punch."

Fran nodded, "I can confirm Rider's explanation. Saber of Black, though unassuming, is quite a skilled warrior. Berserker of Black is similar even if he is a raving lunatic. However, it's the Archer of the Black Faction that concerned me."

"Oh? Please explain." Shirou said.

"He was able to destroy a few of my arrows with gunshots. Granted, he is a Servant but even a bullet shouldn't have been able to hit one of my arrows."

"It seems Archer of Black may be an opponent that specializes in firearms. There's no telling what other form of tricks he possesses. Still, some information is better than none." The priest comments before glancing at the brooding, bulky figure of Berserker. "And is there anything that you have ought to report?"

Berserker of Red gave the priest a hidden glare before scoffing, "The Black Faction's Rider is a decent enough beast to fight. Lancer of Black is quick on his feet and strong with a spear. The Caster of Black is an enemy that I've faced before… in a sense."

"And do you know their name?"

The Garlean Prince shook his head, "I never bothered to learn her name. However, I do know that she was part of a group called the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and an ally of my enemy."

"Well, I'm sure she will be no trouble for you if you've beaten her before." Shirou stated. "Now then, onto other matters…"

"You mean Ruler, yes?" Cecil pondered after remaining silent for most of the conversation.

"Indeed. She managed to elude us but there's no doubt in my mind that she will appear again. Although…" The priest paused, his usual smile set into a fine line. "There's been a disturbance in the air. I don't know what it could be… but it felt as if there was a sixteenth Servant."

"A sixteenth?" Fran raised a delicate brow in suspicion. "You must be joking."

"I don't know. I've never seen the bossman joke around before." Snow pointed out.

"If it is truly a sixteenth Servant then they must be an anomaly just like Ruler." Cecil stated.

Shirou's smile returned as he leaned back in his seat, "If that is so, we cannot tolerate any wild cards in this Holy Grail War."

"And by that, you mean…" Zenos trailed on, already figuring what the priest wanted.

"Simple, eliminate them."

* * *

LINE BREAK

* * *

Darnic sat in his study with a glass of aged red wine. His Servant standing dutifully near him. The patriarch of Yggdmillennia sipped his drink then glanced at the Dragoon. "Tell me, Lancer. What should I do to Saber and Rider?" He inquired.

"Milord, if I may suggest, it would be prudent to release them at sunrise. Regardless of their apparent treachery, one lost homunculus does little to stall our war effort." Kain answered.

"Hm, an excellent point, Lancer. Very well, Saber and Rider shall be released at sunrise. Though I wouldn't be surprised if their relationship with their Masters turned for the worse." Darnic comments before looking at the reports he received from his spies. Something that made him frown with distaste. "Now comes the other problem."

"You refer to Assassin of Black, correct?" Lancer pondered.

"Indeed, Hyouma Sagara was found dead recently. From what I was able to gleam, he had been brutally murdered. But not by the Mages Association." Darnic stated. The door to his study opened, causing the man to look at the source to find one of his most gifted Masters, Fiore.

"Uncle?" She said in her usually soft demeanor as she is wheeled inside by Archer. "I heard you wished to speak with me?"

"Yes, I'd like you to take a look at this." Darnic said as he approached his granddaughter and handed her a newspaper that she took into her hands to read.

The girl gasped in both shock and horror when she took notice of a recent article, "But this is…"

* * *

LINE BREAK

* * *

"Well, this is a problem. There are no more people here." Reika Rikudou, the new Master of Assassin of Black, said with a frown. She and her 'son' had taken residence in a small house that used to belong to a couple that ended up as Assassin's next victims.

"Indeed. It seems I've killed all of them or they simply fled in fear." Assassin of Black responded as he leaned casually against a wall dressed only in his pants and boots. His armor and upper clothing was being washed to clean off the blood that stained the black leather. "And I hunger for more mana, Mother."

"Well, the next town over his Trifas." Reika told her 'son' as she looked at him with an unsettling smile. "Why don't we visit there next?"

"Other Servants reside there." Sephiroth pointed out.

"Both the Black and Red Factions are our enemies."

"They will be a nuisance."

"Of course, Sephy," The prostitute agreed with a cold look in her eyes. "But let's head over there and see how it goes."

Assassin of Black disappeared from his place against the wall, "I can shield my presence from the other Servants but how will you fair, Mother?" He asked as he reappeared on the couch that Reika sat on, his head resting on her lap as the woman ran her fingers through his long silver hair.

"I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about me." She assured him with a fond smile. "After all, I have a wonderful son who can make bad people go away."

Sephiroth closed his eyes as a grin appeared on his face, "And any who would dare touch you will die screaming in agony."

Reika's smile widened before she rested her forehead against the Servant's own, "Let's rest for now. We can leave tomorrow morning."

* * *

LINE BREAK

* * *

The homunculus boy followed the two Heroic Spirits: Ruler and Saver, behind with a timid expression. His scarlet eyes staring at the backs of the duo as he analyzed what he could gleam from them.

Ruler seemed like a kind and gentle girl. She assured him that he could live his life however he wished and even gave him food after the homunculus felt an annoying growl in his stomach. However, beneath that gentle visage was a warrior who would fight tooth and nail to protect those weaker than her. He admired her for that.

Next was Saver. He was… a mystery to him. The man saved his life without question, fashioning him a new heart that expanded his lifespan and even gave him strength comparable to a low-class Heroic Spirit. He defended him from the Black Faction when they wanted to take him back to that horrid castle and didn't care if he had to fight all of the Servants they had by himself. The homunculus was especially thankful to meet such a generous, kind-hearted hero.

"Have you come up with a name?" Ruler suddenly asked, drawing the boy's attention to the beautiful blonde.

"A name?" He repeated.

"A name is a way for you to signify your existence. There are many that you can give yourself." Ruler explained.

"I'm sorry, but no…" The homunculus said with a solemn expression.

"What about Sieg?" Saver suggested.

"Sieg?" Both Ruler and the boy looked at the dark-haired Servant in confusion.

Saver glanced back at the boy and decided to explain, "From my homeland, after I slew the dragon that plagued the people of a far-off country, I heard the tale of another warrior who battled dragons. The people there believed me to be the second coming of that warrior."

"What was their name?" Ruler pondered.

"Siegfried." He answered.

The Holy Maiden looked surprised for a second before she giggled in amusement much to her companions' bewilderment. "Forgive me. There's actually a similar hero of this world that is named Siegfried."

Saver allowed himself a small smile, "Talk about a coincidence…"

"Sieg…" The homunculus tasted the name on his lips. It sounded perfect for him. In fact, his new heart actually skipped with pride at the name given to him. "I see. From now on, I'll be Sieg."

Ruler smiled brightly, "Wonderful. Then it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sieg."

"Thank you." The newly named Sieg nodded in understanding before he realized something. "I know your name Ruler but…" His gaze landed on Saver's back as he continued to walk. "What's Saver's?"

The blonde saint paused in her step as she realized that Sieg never got Saver's True Name. "He calls himself Sorom."

"Sorom…" Sieg repeated as he stared at Saver with awe. "But… he feels different from other Servants I have met."

"Yes, yes, he does…" Ruler comments as she and Sieg follow after Saver.

* * *

LINE BREAK

* * *

Caules sat down against the wall in the middle of the hallway while Berserker was nonchalantly sitting down across from him with a bottle of wine in his possession.

"So this whole situation started due to a lack of communication." The young man comments. "The relationship between a Master and Servant is more than just a commander and his minion. Heroes have their own values, beliefs, and their own form of justice."

"Heh, that's one way to describe it." Berserker of Black remarks as he took a swig of his pilfered wine bottle.

"Hey, are you unhappy?" Caules asked his Servant.

"Huh?" Jecht rubbed his chin with his bare hand and shrugged, "Well, you ain't a pretty young woman but you're amusing to have as a Master. So, no, can't say that I am unhappy. Not when I can score myself some free booze."

A sweatdrop comically fell from the teen's forehead, "Of course that's what you wanted..."

"Caules," A familiar voice called out.

Both Master and Servant glanced in the direction of the voice, revealing it to be Fiore along with her Servant, Archer, who was pushing his Master's wheelchair.

"Big sister," Caules greeted.

Archer wheeled his young Master to her brother, the girl giving him a serious expression, "Tomorrow, we'll be heading to Sighisoara."

The boy raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Any reason why?"

"Assassin of Black has been spotted there." Fiore answered, getting a flinch from the young man.

What the siblings didn't know was that Saber of Red and his Master were receiving the same orders to investigate Sighisoara.

* * *

LINE BREAK

* * *

Saver sat comfortable against the base of a tree, waiting for his charge to return after she informed him that she would be taking Sieg to the home of the farmer they met along the path.

The Warrior of Light didn't know why Ruler was focused on keeping the boy out of the war but it may have had something to do with her **[Revelation]** skill. Like the Echo, it allowed her to see glimpses of time of a certain individual. But whereas the Echo focuses on the past, Revelation allows Ruler to see small bits of the future. Could the future of Sieg be so terrible that she is trying to defy destiny?

"I hope I didn't keep you long." came the voice of Ruler as she approached Saver dressed in the French schoolgirl uniform that her host wore.

"Not at all," He said with a shake of his head. "And the boy?"

"The owner of the household agreed to look after him." Ruler said stiffly. "I hope that when we do meet again, he'll have learned to smile."

Saver stared at the girl with a calculative gaze, "Why didn't you tell him the truth?"

Ruler gasped, "W-What do you mean?"

"You saw something that would affect his future. Why did you lie?"

The Maiden of Orleans chewed her lower lip, "What was I supposed to say? That he was fated to fight in the Holy Grail War? That his future would end with his death? I could never abide by that revelation. That boy has suffered more than enough as is. He does not need to be stained by blood." Her amethyst gaze stared into the crimson eyes of her guardian. "That fate should be left to a hero."

Saver closed his eyes for a minute in contemplation before a small grin appeared on his face. "It would seem my fears have been silenced."

"Eh?"

"Worry not, Ruler," Saver stood up from the ground, dusting off his pants and making sure his sword was holding firmly against his waist. "Come, let us return to our residence. Dawn is coming and by then a new battle will commence."

Ruler nodded in agreement as she followed after her guardian. Suddenly, her **[Revelation]** skill activated once more. This time her vision featured Saver…

_A dyed-red battlefield fraught with broken or shattered weapons…_

_Shadow sillouhettes of Servants falling in battle…_

_A final confrontation between a hero and a monster…_

_...a sword piercing through flesh and bone._

The vision suddenly ended and Ruler was staring at Saver's back with an expression of concern and fear. Something was going to happen to her companion…

...something terrible.

* * *

**A/N: And that's the end of the chapter! FINALLY! Been trying to come up with a lot just to get this one done.**

**Sorry to all those who thought I was killing off Noctis so soon like a certain Dragonslayer but, like Berserker of Red, he's staying around a while longer.**

**Now before any of you wonder why Sieg is suddenly… well, Sieg. It's because I don't really see him having any other name than that. Saver named him Sieg because the dragon eyes he used were not Nidhogg's eyes, they belonged to a dragon similar to Fafnir, with the same name too. Y'know, the dragon that Siegfried slew that earned him his title?**

**Well, anyways, Saver and Ruler have met the Servants of Black. Next chapter shall feature the epic fight with the One Wing Angel, which I'm sure many of you have been anticipating.**

**Like before, I'm putting down Servant stats. This chapter shall feature the Crown Prince of Lucis himself.**

**Review and comment on this chapter if you like. Love it, hate it, but just know that you've read it.**

**Peace out, everyone!**

* * *

**Name:** Noctis Lucis Caelum

**Servant Class:** Saber of Black

**Alternate Classes:** Archer, Rider, Caster

**Gender:** Male

**Alignment:** Chaotic Good

_**Class Stats-**_

**Strength:** A

**Endurance:** C

**Agility:** B+

**Mana:** C-

**Luck:** B+

**NP:** A+

_**Class Skills-**_

**Magic Resistance:** C

A Skill that grants protection against magical effects. In Noct's case, he can resist a certain number of spells but there are times where he is affected by magical attacks, even ones that he used for himself.

**Riding:** C-

A Skill that allows the Servant to ride vehicles or animals. Noctis has only ever ridden in his father's car, the Regalia, or on occasion, driven it. He also rode Chocobos when out in the field. However, due to his lazy nature, this Skill is lower than it originally should be.

_**Personal Skills-**_

**Item Modification (Magic):** B

A Skill that allows for the modification of certain items or to imbue certain objects with magical properties. Noctis's bloodline allows him to use magic, which he can use to turn ordinary sodas into Potions or Elixirs, and he can imbue elemental energy to craft spells for himself or his Master.

**Warp:** A

A rare Skill suitable only for Noctis. This allows him to teleport short distances and phase through solid matter. He can also use it to recover a portion of his magical energy if he warps to a safe location.

**Jack-of-all-Trades:** A+

A Skill that makes one proficient in all manners of combat. Noctis is an excellent combatant and proficient with a variety of different weapons such as swords, lances, greatswords, shields, and many more.

_**Noble Phantasm-**_

**[Armiger] **_**"The Power of Kings"**_

Rank: A

Classification: Anti-Army

Description: As part of the Lucian royal bloodline, Noctis has access to his ancestors' magical powers as well as their ties to the Lucian Crystal. This grants him access to wield many types of weapons that he collected on his journey in life but the most important factor of this Noble Phantasm are the Royal Arms, spectral weapons once wielded by the past kings and queens of Lucis. When Noctis is in need of more power, he invokes the power of Armiger Unleashed, which gives him full access to all of his latent potential and grants him the use of powerful techniques that he can use to attack such as Royal Cleave, Apocalypsis, Dynastic Stance, and Legacy of the Lucii.

**[Astral Projection] **_**"Call of the Gods"**_

Rank: A

Classification: Anti-Fortress

Description: As per his bloodline's contract, Noctis can summon the five deities of his homeland as battle companions. However, depending on the situation, he can only summon a certain deity that works well with the environment. The list of Astrals he can currently summon is Titan, Ramuh, Leviathan, Shiva, and Bahamut.


End file.
